No Minor Punishment
This is an interesting one. Recently, a young Fortnite player was banned competitive modes. Not for cheating or for their behaviour, but for being too young. Zenon, 9 years old from Brazil, was banned by Epic Games after they found out that he was playing in paid tournaments, which have age requirements of 13 years old. He has been banned for 4 years, which sounds pretty harsh. He can play casual modes, but competitive modes are off the table. This falls squarely in the grey area between “rules is rules” and “let kids be kids”.
The ESRB has rated Fortnite for teenagers, which is generally considered 13 and up. While ESRB rating’s power over games kind of dissipates when a parent green-lights a game for their child, this is in line with Epic Games’ policy of their paid competitions. Zenon is not 13, plain and simple. However, after a video of him surfaced, Fortnite players and influencers have called for an end to his ban. This video shows Zenon streaming with his father when he found out about his 4 year ban. He is crying and being consoled by his dad, with a countdown of over 1,459 days to when he can play competitively.
Why create a game that’s clearly targeted towards kids if you’re not going to let them play it? This shit breaks my fkn heart actually, let the kid play @EpicGames @FortniteGame https://t.co/4rilPleh4R
— FaZe Banks (@Banks) May 5, 2020
A 4 year ban is one of the most aggressive swings of the ban hammer we have seen in a while, but the length of the ban is actually tied to his age. He is 9 now and in 4 years he will be 13 and be able to play competitively, without violating the policy put in place by Epic Games. Fortnite is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and mobile… if you’re 13 or older.
Do you think Zenon’s punishment is too harsh? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Kotaku