Epic Strikes Back: Cheater Receives a Lawsuit

Epic Games has long been battling a cheating epidemic in Fortnite, which has escalated significantly since the end of Chapter 5 and became especially evident during the OG Season Reboot. The competitive scene was flooded with complaints from pro players, demanding that Epic take action to restore integrity to tournaments.

Competitive Integrity in Tournaments

Epic knows that maintaining a fair and enjoyable experience for all players is critical, especially in competitive Fortnite. To tackle the cheating issue head-on, they’ve introduced a series of major changes aimed at improving tournaments. Epic restructured tournaments to ensure fairness, the following changes are:

• Restructured all tournaments to place cash prizes at the highest levels of competition in each region, including the new FNCS Divisional Cups, which will require players to advance through multiple rounds of competition before being able to compete for prizes.
• Anyone found teaming up with a cheater in a tournament will face a minimum 28-day competitive ban, which will increase in duration with every subsequent violation.
   
• If players have a competitive ban of 14 days or longer, they will not be able to compete in FNCS tournaments during that season or any season that the ban overlaps with.
  
• Still looking into additional competitive requirements before being eligible to play in tournaments with cash prizes

Taking Action

After the outcry and the promise to ensure a cheater free zone for chapter 6, epic games have sued a stubborn cheater in a tweet quote:

"This week we filed a lawsuit against a player who cheated in our tournaments. This player used cheating software and hardware and tried to avoid getting caught by using multiple accounts. It didn’t work."

This move shows that Epic is serious about preserving the integrity of Fortnite’s competitive scene—and it’s just the beginning. The battle against cheating has only just begun.

But Does This Stop Anything?

Even after the announcement that Epic Games is suing a cheater, players are still caught up in cheating with little concern for the consequences. Sure, they might become more cautious, or even stop after their first ban, but can Epic truly stop every cheater? No. However, this lawsuit is definitely a step in the right direction.

This legal action strikes the perfect balance between a scare tactic and delivering real justice. It sends a clear message that cheating in Fortnite will no longer go unnoticed or unpunished. Over the next year, we predict the number of cheaters in competitive play will significantly drop, with only a few trickling through the cracks of tournaments, causing little to no disruption for legitimate players.

As long as Epic continues to make examples out of these stubborn cheaters, the competitive scene can slowly become a place where true skill and effort shine. Fortnite’s integrity is on the line, and with these actions, Epic is proving they’re committed to keeping cheaters at bay.

Our Criticisms:

If players have a competitive ban of 14 days or longer, they will not be able to compete in FNCS tournaments during that season or any season that the ban overlaps with.

• Stop Paying Tournament Money to Cheaters:
  • Players who are caught cheating should not only be banned but also forfeit any tournament earnings. This would send a clear message that cheating doesn’t pay, there are far too many instances where cheaters get banned but still receive the payout.
• Live Tournament Staff:
  • Epic should consider implementing a REAL system where dedicated staff members actively monitor tournament leaderboards in real-time. These staff members, with deep knowledge of the game and competitive scene, could keep an eye out for anomalies or suspicious patterns as the tournament unfolds. This could include checking for strange names at the top of the leaderboard or any sudden, out-of-the-norm performances. By cross-checking accounts and flagging potential cheaters during the event, Epic could prevent the frustration of legitimate players being denied a fair shot at the finals or prize money, only for cheaters to be banned days later after the damage has been done. Having live staff to catch these cheaters in the act would ensure that the competitive integrity of Fortnite is upheld in real-time, making the tournaments more fair and enjoyable for all players involved.
• Consistency is Key:
  • One of the biggest issues with Epic’s current approach is inconsistency. Cheaters are often let off the hook or banned long after they’ve ruined the experience for legitimate players as we mentioned earlier. Epic needs to establish clear guidelines and enforce them uniformly across all cases.