Vortex Gaming

Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, recently filed a lawsuit against a player accused of using cheats during a Fortnite tournament.

The lawsuit alleges that the unnamed player used sophisticated cheating tools. This, reportedly, allowed the player to dominate matches and earn monetary rewards while violating tournament rules.

In a statement addressing the lawsuit, a representative said:

"We are committed to ensuring that Fortnite tournaments are a fair and enjoyable experience for all players. Cheating undermines the spirit of competition and will not be tolerated. This lawsuit sends a clear message that we will pursue legal action against those who break the rules."

This isn't Epic's first legal battle against cheaters. The developer has a history of successfully prosecuting players and even cheating developers.

When a player gets caught cheating in a tournament, they get banned from competitive play and face legal consequences. Considering there also tends to be steep fines associated with these lawsuits, winning a tournament while hacking might actually put players in debt.

In recent months, Epic implemented stricter regulations for its tournaments. Most events exclude players with previous bans from competing to ensure a fair playground.

Long-time Fortnite fans might remember similar cases from past years. The ongoing battle between game developers and cheat developers is similar to a ping-pong or a chess match. Developers introduce new security measures, only for cheat creators to find ways to circumvent them. Overall, Epic has a decent track record of dealing with cheaters. Over the last two decades, there were instances where rampant cheating caused users to abandon titles causing them to cease operations in the end. Recovering from such reputation damages is often impossible, so it pays off to stay vigilant.

Considering the cash rewards associated with Fortnite tournaments, Epic has a responsibility to ensure fairness. Cheating can undermine players’ trust in the competitive system, so every court case acts as an example. Since permanent account bans may not be enough to discourage certain players, costly legal battles aim to fill the gap there when it comes to reducing the overall demand for cheat software.

Esports may have taken a back seat for Fortnite since COVID, but the in-game cash cups and tournaments have been fan favorites. That’s essentially where players make a name for themselves since top performing participants also aim to build audiences on social media and streaming platforms like Twitch.