Playdate maker Panic refunds tariff surcharges to customers

Panic, the creator of the Playdate gaming console, has announced it will refund tariff surcharges to customers. This decision came after the company received a refund from the US government, following a Supreme Court ruling that President Trump's tariffs constituted an unlawful use of emergency powers. According to Game Developer, Panic initially tried to absorb the 19% tariff cost, but found it financially challenging for a small company.

They later added a clearly labeled tariff line item to Playdate orders during the period the charges applied. Co-founder Cabel Sasser explained that refunding the surcharge felt like the right decision, as it was "just not our money to keep." Other companies affected by the ruling, such as Target, Home Depot, and Walmart, received billions of dollars in refunds, while Nintendo opted to keep a $300 million refund, which it has chosen to retain.

Nintendo and several other firms are now facing lawsuits over their decision to keep the refunded amount, with plaintiffs arguing customers were aware of paying the tariffs at the time of purchase.