Fortnite: Epic Shuts Down Wagers, Informs Clix Directly
| Tags: Fortnite
| Author Matt Pryor
Epic Games has officially shut down Fortnite wager matches.
The North Carolina-based video game developer contacted professional player Cody “Clix” Conrod to inform him of the repercussions should he continue promoting and partaking in wagers. This news comes just two months after Epic put an end to “subscriber custom scrims” which many competitive players hosted on their respective Twitch streams in exchange for subscriptions. Wager matches and subscriber customs violate the game's Terms of Service (TOS). It was only a matter of time before Epic started warning those who break the rules.
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The Clix Tweet
Won't be playing or having anything to do with wagers anymore, just got personally messaged by epic and was told to stop or will result in a ban. Recommend others to stop as well, tweeting this so people are aware.
— Clix (@Clix) March 25, 2021
Clix, a player for NRG Esports, has one of Twitch's most viewed Fortnite streams. His broadcasts regularly feature wager matches, where he and other top players square off against one another in either Zone Wars or Box Fights for a pot of money. Professional players often player against viewers for cash as well. The 16-year-old took to Twitter after hearing from Epic Games.
“Won't be playing or having anything to do with wagers anymore, just got personally messaged by epic and was told to stop or will result in a ban,” he said. “Recommend others to stop as well, tweeting this so people are aware.”
It is a welcomed warning, considering how popular wagers matches are across the competitive scene. There is also an underage gambling issue since many of the players who compete in wagers are younger than 18. Epic stands by Fortnite's TOS and could not allow these matches to continue any longer.
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No Wagers = Less Content
While this decision makes sense from a legality and liability standpoint, some figures have shown concern about the future of Fortnite. Public matches have dried up entirely, and those who broadcast Arena Mode experience an alarming stream sniper problem. Professional player and content creator Arab summed up his worries in a tweet shortly after Clix broke the news.
https://twitter.com/yourfellowarab/status/1375205309980012545?s=21
There is no denying that early-season Fortnite is rough for competitors when no tournaments are happening. Unfortunately, Epic Games had no other choice, and the number of wagers that run daily became too much to ignore. The developers need to address stream sniping. Otherwise, Fortnite's presence on Twitch could start to decline. One month remains until the next Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) event begins.