Fortnite’s historic change: Epic will pardon cheaters, and as punishment, they’ll only be able to use the game as a chat for a year
Epic Games is updating its policy for banning and punishing Fortnite players, which has been deemed too harsh, with the goal of giving “occasional cheaters” a second chance.
Since its launch in 2017, Fortnite has maintained a ruthless policy toward cheaters, banning them from the game for life no matter how much time and money they’ve invested in their accounts. However, Epic Games has made a historic turnaround with a recent major change to its punishment system: banned players will be able to return... but with severe restrictions. For a full year, they will only be able to access text and voice chat functions, without being able to play any modes. Of course, Epic was categorical on one point: a repeat offense will mean a return to the indefinite ban. With this measure, the company is attempting to make punishments fairer, offering a second chance while still imposing a harsh initial sanction, but not a final one.
Epic Games is giving Fortnite cheaters a second chance, but only for one year, and only in voice and text chat
Until now, Epic Games' policy against cheating in Fortnite has been clear and strict: any player caught cheating would be banned indefinitely, with no chance of appeal in most cases. However, with this change, announced in a blog post on the game’s official website, the company has decided to introduce a more graduated approach, with temporary suspensions in certain circumstances. According to the official statement, this new measure is intended to differentiate between those who cheat repeatedly and those who may have committed an isolated or unintentional infraction. For example, a player could be sanctioned for sharing an account with someone who uses hacks, for unknowingly installing software that the anti-cheat system has flagged as suspicious, or even for a false positive from the anti-cheat system itself.
One of the key points of this change is that permanent bans will still exist, but will be reserved for the most egregious cases and repeat offenders. For the rest of the offenders, Epic Games will apply a special temporary suspension that will allow players to continue logging into the game, but not to play, with all modes and features restricted except for text and voice chat with friends. With this new policy, the company hopes to reduce the number of permanent bans and give those who have made a specific mistake a second chance, as long as they do not re-offend, by offering this one-year “time for reflection”.
This paradigm shift represents a major shift in Epic Games' strategy for maintaining the integrity of Fortnite’s competitive scene. For years, the company has maintained a zero-tolerance stance, which has served as a strong deterrent but has also drawn criticism from some segments of the community due to the severity and expediency of the punishments handed out. Implementing this system of progressive punishments can help improve the perception of fairness within the game, while strengthening the fight against repeat cheaters, resulting in a healthier competitive ecosystem.
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