Game Developer - GoKawiil

Panic refunds Playdate customers after Trump-era tariffs ruled illegal

Indie publisher Panic is returning the tariff fees it had charged Playdate buyers, after a court ruling deemed the Trump administration's import taxes illegal and ordered refunds to affected companies. Panic said it has now received its own tariff refunds and passed that money back to customers who had paid the added charge as a line item on their orders.

arstechnica.com · 2026-08-27

Panic refunds Playdate buyers the tariff fees they paid at checkout

Panic, maker of the Playdate handheld, is returning tariff surcharges it had charged customers after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration's tariff regime illegal. The company says it added the 19 percent fee as a line item during checkout, stopped charging it on new orders after April 21, and spent months securing its own government refund before building a system to repay affected buyers.

engadget.com · 2026-08-26