In Fortnite there was a big leak about the comet that turned out to be true. Epic is now taking action against the man from whom the information came: with a lawsuit.
Leak turns out to be true: Fortnite is constantly producing fan theories and ideas. Most turn out to be nonsense. But one theory before Season 4 hit the mark. The user “internetadam” predicted everything that would happen in Season 4 on Reddit:
- The comet hits Dusty Depot.
- Superheroes come as the new season theme.
- The map is constantly changing – most recently with the countdowns and the rocket.
We now know that all of this has come true.
Where did he get this information? The Reddit account “internetadam”, from whom the info came, has since been deleted. The post is also gone. But Epic has a suspicion of where this information originated from, and they are probably right.
Tester has spilled the beans – Lawsuit!
Epic is suing a tester: Epic has filed a lawsuit against Thomas Hannah (via Polygon). He was a contractor, a “Quality Assurance” tester for Epic, meaning a paid tester and bug-finder, hired from the outside. Hannah had access to confidential information.
Collaboration with Reddit poster: Epic has identified this tester as the source of the leak. The tester is said to have collaborated with someone who then posted the information on Reddit. Hannah supposedly spilled the beans about three weeks after he stopped working for Epic.
Bombarded with questions
“That was a private conversation”: Hannah admits most of it. He says that someone asked him for information, but it was more of a private conversation, the outcome of which he had no control over. He was bombarded with questions and conclusions from “Internetadam” about where the comet would hit in Fortnite.
- Hannah had revealed upon inquiry that the comet would not hit any location that was expected
- after further inquiry, that the comet would not hit Titled Towers
- thereafter, Internetadam concluded that it must be “Dusty Depot” – which Hannah confirmed
The other person carried this information to the Fortnite community without Hannah’s consent.
Hannah admits to violating the confidentiality agreement between Epic and himself. “Internetadam” is probably a certain Adam DiMarco – who bombarded Hannah with questions.
Breaking the NDA could be costly
Lawsuit: Epic’s lawsuit aims for damages. Epic claims to have suffered and continues to suffer “irreparable harm.” This cannot be repaired solely with money. It’s also about the diminished enjoyment of players due to this leak. Hannah is accused of breaking the confidentiality agreement (NDA) and revealing trade secrets.
It seems to be about preventing further leaks: Epic seems to also intend to prevent such further leaks with the lawsuit. Because “internetadam” had already rejoiced: He couldn’t wait to reveal what Epic is planning for Season 5. Here too, there is a new secret in Fortnite: it involves a rocket and a countdown. However, Hannah denies having disclosed further information about Fortnite.
Comet – clearly part of Fortnite’s success formula
Secrets are important: Epic considers the “unexpected twists” to be a central component of Fortnite. No one outside of Epic knew where the comet would hit in Season 3. The discussion around it is seen as a “key element” of Fortnite’s success and appeal.
Where are the court records?
This is not the first lawsuit that Epic has filed regarding Fortnite:
