Fortnite players were shocked when they discovered that both V-Bucks and cosmetics had been unexpectedly removed from their accounts. Epic Games has now clarified the situation, confirming that the issue stemmed from an Xbox-related exploit involving the V-Bucks refund system.
The Issue Behind the Missing V-Bucks
Several players began reporting lost V-Bucks and deleted cosmetics, often sharing screenshots of notifications detailing the removals. Many believed it was a widespread error affecting Xbox users in particular. Some players claimed losses of thousands of V-Bucks and dozens of skins, sparking outrage across the community.
Epic Games later confirmed that the removals were intentional. Between December 2024 and July 2025, an error in the Xbox V-Bucks refund system allowed players to receive their money back without having the refunded V-Bucks deducted from their account. This created a loophole that some exploited repeatedly.
Epic’s Response
Epic Games announced that removals only targeted accounts where the exploit was used more than seven times. In these cases, V-Bucks balances went into the negative, leading to automatic cosmetic deletions as compensation. Some players also sold or gifted items obtained through refunded V-Bucks, further complicating the issue.
The publisher admitted responsibility for not immediately correcting the balance error but emphasized that the corrective action was necessary to restore fairness in Fortnite’s economy. Players who unknowingly benefited from gifted items tied to the exploit may also have been affected by the removals.
Why Not Everyone Was Affected
Epic stressed that not all players were targeted. Those who refunded V-Bucks only once or twice during the error window may not have realized the balance discrepancy, so their accounts were left untouched. The company’s focus was on those who repeatedly used the exploit, as by that point it would have been clear that their V-Bucks balance had not been adjusted properly. So, if you see someone on your social feed, crying that they lost everything, its because of them misusing the system. Don’t feel pitty about the scammers.
