A Canadian beta tester is being sued by developer Epic Games. Lucas Johnston is alleged to have leaked confidential material related to Fortnite Chapter 2. A security camera purportedly captured him taking a screenshot, which later circulated on reddit a month before “Chapter ” went live.
Who is being sued? Lucas Johnston was a professional tester for “Keyword Studios” in Montreal. The company essentially lends testers to gaming studios. Companies like Epic Games need alpha or beta testers who secretly play what will later be enjoyed by millions.
Johnston allegedly worked for Epic on August 30 to test the “user experience.” He was supposed to inform Epic how the game feels from the players’ perspective so they could respond accordingly and make adjustments.
Screenshot leaked on reddit
What Epic accuses him of: Epic claims Johnston posted a screenshot on reddit a month before the planned release of Chapter 2 on October 15.
It is not entirely clear what exactly he posted. The post has since been deleted.
The site Eurogamer reported (via eurogamer): In September, someone posted a screenshot of Fortnite’s new map on reddit/FortniteCompetitive. It showed a bus route and the names of locations.
It might be that this image is the screenshot Johnston allegedly took.
The irony: At the time, hardly anyone took the leak seriously, so it didn’t make any waves. Only when the new map of Fortnite Chapter 2 actually went live did people realize that the September leak was likely genuine.
Epic states: The accused spoiled the element of surprise with this act. It is important to keep such creative processes confidential.
The company fired the leaker immediately after the leak
How does Johnston’s company respond? The company Keyword Studios employed Johnston and was apparently hired by Epic Games to provide testers.
Keywords Studios found, according to court documents, during their investigation that Johnston must have taken this screenshot. He was filmed doing so by a security camera.
Furthermore, the user who posted the screenshot was linked to Johnston:
Johnston was fired by Keywords Studios on September 13, shortly after the image went online.
This is what Johnston says: He admits to having taken the screenshot. He sent it to himself via eMail.
However, he claims he has no idea how it then ended up online.
This is what happens now: Johnston is now being sued by Epic Games for damages of over $85,000 for allegedly breaching the confidentiality clause.
According to brand law expert Michael Short, Fortnite is not suing for money but to make a statement.
This is already the 3rd tester that Epic Games has taken legal action against for leaking trade secrets:
