Epic Games Is Suing 14-Year-Old Fortnite Cheater, but His Mom Is Fighting Back
Last month, Epic Games, the publisher of the popular battle royale title Fortnite, made a decision that had some scratching their heads. What did they do? Instead of banning two Fornite players for cheating, they decided to take the two individuals to court. Needless to say, the mother of the 14-year-old involved is far from impressed and has hit back at Epic Games.
When the lawsuits began last month, Epic cited that the two cheaters were using, and were allegedly associated with, the site Addicted Cheats in order to obtain “aimbots” in game. These aimbots are supposed to give those who purchase them, at $5 – $15 a month, an edge over their competition. Moreover, these aimbots are set to attack Twitch Streamers, ensuring they cannot win the game. Rather than just ban them from the game, Epic Games stated that they take cheating very seriously and felt the two were in breach of Fortnite’s End User License Agreement and the Copyright Act.
The mother of the 14-year-old who is being sued is angry not only for the legal action, but that Epic games named her underage son in the lawsuit. This in itself is a violation of Delaware laws related to the release of information of minors. She has written a letter to the court, addressing more than a few issues with the lawsuit. She says that Fortnite’s terms require parental consent for minors, which she never gave, and that Epic Games should instead be going after the website and developer of the tools her son used to cheat with. In addition, she states that because they are not going after the website, they are “using a 14-year-old child as a scapegoat.” She also wrote that the case is based on a loss of profits, however considering the game itself is free-to-play, argues that Epic Games would need to prove where her son directly caused a “mass profit loss.” You can read the letter below.
Do you agree with a harsh approach to cheating or do you think Epic Games should have just banned the players? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and keep it locked for updates!