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Epic Games is no stranger to controversially chasing down cheaters within Fortnite: Battle Royale, from hiring private investigators to pursuing legal action. YouTuber Brandon “Golden Modz” Lucas is the latest in Epic’s sight, after showcasing and selling cheats to his 1.7 million subscribers.
Fortnite is one of the most lucrative games of our time, for both developer Epic Games and subsequent content creators. Unfortunately, this makes the title a target of cheat makers and trolls. Brandon Lucas and another YouTuber, Colton Conter have both allegedly indulged in this market, with Lucas in particular selling an aimbot service for $200 (£150).
“Defendants are cheaters. Nobody likes a cheater,” Epic Games said in its lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. “Defendant Lucas not only cheats, he also promotes, advertises, and sells software that enables those who use it to cheat” by “unlawfully modifying the game's code.”
While Lucas’ supposed cheat service is only active on PC, Fortnite’s cross-platform efforts see players on all devices affected. “When cheaters use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly,” Epic told the BBC. “We take cheating seriously, and we'll pursue all available options to make sure our games are fun, fair, and competitive for players.”
Most of Lucas’ videos containing Fortnite cheats have been removed from YouTube after Epic issued a takedown notice. Conter has yet to publicly address the accusations, while Lucas expressed his confusion in a recent video. “I'm confused because there's about a thousand other content creators on YouTube that make Fortnite content without repercussions,” explains Lucas.
In the meantime, Epic Games is bolstering its effort against cheaters after acquiring anti-cheat software company Kamu.
KitGuru Says: Personally, I have no sympathy for cheaters in multiplayer games who knowingly hinder the experience that other players have paid for. Epic undoubtedly wants to set a precedent with this case, however that will entirely depend on the degree of punishment potentially served. Do you think Lucas deserves to be on the butt end of a lawsuit?
