Epic Games, the creators behind Fortnite, are once again taking action against an alleged cheater. This time, it’s not directly about cheats that should give him an unfair advantage, but about the in-game currency V-Bucks.
We have already reported that Epic Games has legally pursued various cheaters who have created or distributed cheats. These cheats were meant to give players an unfair advantage in Fortnite: Battle Royale.
According to Epic Games, such cheats undermine the gaming experience of Fortnite for everyone and harm the integrity of the game.
Now, they have a different type of villain in their sights: and this is directly related to the developers’ profit. The accused is alleged to have stolen from the company.
Exploit is said to have generated free premium currency
Epic has filed a lawsuit in California. A man from New Zealand is accused. He is alleged to have developed an exploit that allowed players to obtain V-Bucks for free.
V-Bucks are the premium currency of Fortnite and are used to purchase loot boxes in the game, known as Llamas. In Fortnite: Battle Royale, V-Bucks are used to obtain skins.
You can normally purchase V-Bucks for real money – or earn them in-game.
Fortnite says: Those who create this currency ultimately steal money from us.
Exploit was then showcased and promoted on YouTube
Epic believes they have found the culprit: He developed an exploit for Fortnite Battle Royale that allowed players to obtain V-Bucks without paying for them. He then created a video, uploaded it to YouTube, and showcased and promoted his exploit.
Epic managed to get the video taken down from YouTube, but now wants to go further.
They are suing the New Zealander for copyright infringement and breach of contract. They demand compensation and that the accused destroy all copies of Fortnite and Fortnite-related works.
3 lawsuits against cheaters already settled out of court
In the past, Fortnite has settled with defendants out of court. As Torrentfreak reports, they have reached a settlement behind closed doors with three individuals:
- With a defendant from Minnesota
- one from Sweden
- and one from Russia
But that was apparently only about cheats affecting gameplay – and not directly about profit, like in the case of the New Zealander.
The case of a 14-year-old cheater made the most headlines, and it is still open:
