In Fortnite four professionals Nate “Kreo” Kou, Logan “Bucke” Eschenburg, “Keys”, and “Slackes” were banned after allegedly cheating in a tournament. Epic’s decision is being discussed in the community.
Which tournament did the professionals participate in? The FNCS (Fortnite Champion Series) in Duos is currently taking place. The training sessions were held from March 13 to 15, 2020.
The first finals of the first week started on Friday, March 20, 2020. There, the 4 players participated in 2 Duo teams.
The gameplay between the duos seems strange
This is the situation: Shortly after the finals on March 22, a video emerged showing how the two duos always met at the same spot during the practice rounds and the finals.
The strange thing was that they shot at each other, but only briefly. The players took down each other’s shields from a distance and then stopped fighting:
Why is this considered cheating? It appears that both teams are not truly fighting against each other but are consciously only dealing a precisely calculated amount of damage to each other.
With this tactic, one can circumvent the “Storm Surge”. In “Storm Surge,” players receive a notification that they are taking damage if they have not caused enough damage to opponents in a round.
The players who cause the least damage constantly take damage from the game and will eventually be eliminated if they do not actively attack opponents.
With such “alibi” fire, one can bypass this mode, but they must have coordinated beforehand to execute the feigned fights. Therefore, this is considered “teaming” and is thus labeled as cheating.
Even at the Fortnite World Championship 2019, the rules for “Storm Surge” applied and aim to encourage players not to hide until the endgame starts.
Professionals receive a 60-day ban
Epic took action and banned the 4 professionals. They received a notification that they have been banned from Fortnite for 60 days.
Benjyfishy shared the notification on Twitter that the professionals received:
How did the affected professionals react to the ban? On Twitter, the professionals shared how they feel about Epic’s ban.
Fortnite professional “Kreo” said he wished they could at least defend themselves. Or that Epic would at least conduct investigations and ask them questions:
The professionals were not only banned but also stripped of their placements. This is particularly problematic because the duos finished in 1st and 2nd place. They can now forget these placements.
The community discusses Epic’s decision
Epic’s decision to ban the 4 professionals from Fortnite for 60 days sparked a discussion in the community. While some can understand this decision, others do not.
The young Fortnite professional Clix thinks a ban might be justified, but 60 days is simply too long:
Fortnite player Chap even wishes for a harsher penalty for the 4 professionals. He thinks a lifetime ban should be the standard when it comes to a tournament where money is at stake:
This is not the first time that cheaters have been banned by Epic. The professionals XXIF and Ronaldo were banned for 2 weeks and were still able to participate in the World Championship.
FaZe Sway was also accused of cheating during a tournament.
