The Fortnite World Cup is in full swing, bringing in gamers from all over the world to compete for millions in prize money. Unfortunately, not all participants have been playing fairly, and Fortnite creator Epic Games has stepped in to bring the hammer down on widespread cheating in the competition.
Epic Games cracks down on Fortnite cheaters
Epic Games recently announced that it had taken punitive measures against over 1,200 accounts that have allegedly been associated with various forms of cheating. Most of the banned accounts were marked after participating in the first week of the Fortnite World Cup. Most marked accounts were given a two-week ban, with the exception of a few more serious bans for more serious offenders. Accounts associated with less serious offenses reportedly received as little as 72-hour bans.
Of the banned accounts, Epic has cited that most were using VPNs and other methods to circumvent region locking measures. This would allow players participating in the World Cup to enter several competitions per day in different time zones, vastly increasing their chances to win as opposed to those playing fairly.
In addition, Epic has also banned accounts associated with teaming and account sharing. This would include players who form alliances with opponents, and players that use multiple accounts to enter the tournament. Also banned were accounts that were found to be intentionally disconnecting from World Cup matches.
Of the banned accounts, 196 were reportedly forced to forfeit prizes they had won as a result of cheating. Among those caught was prominent Fortnite streamer and competitive player JohnnyK, who was reportedly using third-party software to reveal the in-game locations of other players. JohnnyK did admit to cheating when accused, and as a result was terminated from Team Kaliber, his competitive team.
With $30 million in prize money on the line, it stands to reason that many Fortnite players will be tempted to use illicit measures to obtain a share of the prize money. With this first round of bans, Epic has sent a strong message that cheating in any form will not be tolerated.
