Professional Fortnite player FaZe Jarvis has been permanently banned from the game for using hacks.
The 17-year-old uploaded videos of himself using an “aimbot.” Jarvis claims he cheated only to entertain fans, but Epic Games says it has a “zero tolerance policy” on cheat software.
The ban has reignited debates over Epic’s seemingly unfair and inconsistent punishment policy.
If you’ve ever been eliminated from a Battle Royale match by a cheater, you will understand how frustrating it is when people use hacks in Fortnite to get an unfair advantage.
Aimbots give players perfect aim and eliminate bloom. All they have to do is click their mouse and every round they fire lands on target. The hacks are near-impossible to play against.
It’s no surprise, then, that Epic Games won’t stand for aimbots and other cheats. If it catches you using them, your account will be permanently banned. Jarvis this week learned that the hard way.
FaZe Jarvis receives lifetime Fortnite ban
Jarvis uploaded an emotional apology to YouTube explaining his accounts were slapped with a permanent ban. He accepts he made a mistake, but says he only did it for his fans.
“Obviously this was a huge mistake and it’s completely wrong on my end,” Jarvis said. “Genuinely, I don’t even know what I was thinking. Cheating in anything is just terrible.”
“I never thought about the consequences that could happen from me making those videos,” added the FaZe Clan member. “I just thought about entertaining you guys.”
The ban has divided the Fortnite community. While many believe it is warranted and deserved, others have criticized the punishment and declared it unfair for a first offense.
An Epic punishment
“We have a zero tolerance policy for the usage of cheat software,” Epic said in a statement to IGN. “When people use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly.”
Epic is not wrong, and Fortnite’s terms of service clearly state that the use of “cheats, bots, scripts, or mods” are not allowed. It warns that using them could result in a permanent ban.
And Jarvis isn’t the first cheater to be punished. Others have been permanently banned for using hacks, while some have been disqualified from tournaments for lesser crimes.
Fortnite professionals XXiF and Ronaldo were hit with suspensions in June after using friends to get easy eliminations during a tournament. But they weren’t pushed out completely.
Fortnite needs greater transparency
Some say it’s unfair that Jarvis has been banned for life, while XXiF and Ronaldo could continue competing in the World Cup, for which they each received at least $50,000, after cheating.
Others point out that using an aimbot is a more serious offense, and requires an harsher punishment.
What everyone can agree on is that we need greater transparency. Epic needs to outline the punishments for different forms of cheating, and it should probably warn players before an instant ban.
No one is denying the punishments should be harsh. But if it’s clearer exactly what they are, and players have a chance to change their ways before a ban, there would be a lot less controversy.
What now for FaZe Jarvis?
“I’m so disappointed in myself for doing this and not thinking about the consequences that could have happened,” Jarvis continued. “I just wish I could go back in time and just change all of this.”
Jarvis could continue playing Fortnite with a new account on a new platform. But he certainly won’t be able to compete professionally, which is a blow to his career with FaZe Clan.
Other FaZe members have backed the British teenager, but FaZe itself is yet to issue a public statement.
