Epic resolves lawsuit against teenage Fortnite player

Epic Games has settled a lawsuit against a 14-year-old Fortnite player who was accused of cheating in 2017. The player was accused of using cheats and advertising them on his YouTube channel. 

Epic referred to the player as a “cheater” in the initial complaint, according to PC Gamer. The company also said the player was “ruining the game playing experience of players who do not cheat” and that “nobody likes a cheater. And nobody likes playing with a cheater.”

The player violated Fortnite’s EULA and Copyright Law, according to Epic, and the player was reportedly banned 14 times previously. Epic also claimed the player created a second YouTube channel to avoid a DMCA strike on his videos. 

This case highlighted the issues around punishing cheaters. The player’s mother claimed Epic was using her son as a “scapegoat.”

The court documents didn’t reveal the details of the settlement, but the player and his guardian agreed to dismiss all claims and action. 

Cheaters certainly aren’t new to Fortnite and can be found at all levels of competition. A player was caught teaming during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup qualifiers and pros have encountered cheaters several times. 

It’s unclear if Epic will target individual players with lawsuits going forward, but cheaters should consider the potential legal ramifications of their actions.