Cheating risky when so much is on the line, say experts
Was it cheating or not?
That’s a question that has divided the Fortnite community after former world champion Bugha and other pro players were disqualified from a major tournament last week.
The tournament, known as the Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) Major 1 Grand Finals, was one of the biggest of the year, with lots of money and prestige on the line.
In a post on X, Fortnite Competitive said the players were disqualified for using third party software that gave them an advantage when spawning on the Fortnite map.
But they also said that in retrospect, the disqualifications were a mistake and that their rules around what was allowed were confusing.
Still, some Fortnite players say they saw it as cheating.
One expert said it’s a reminder of how risky cheating in esports can be when so much money is on the line.
What happened?
The tournament was the game’s first major competition of the year, with a top prize of $100,000 US and a spot at the Major 1 Summit tournament in Germany later this month.
After disqualifying a handful of players last week just prior to the final, Fortnite said the DQ was because they were using something called “drop calculators.”
In Fortnite, players begin games in a Battle Bus that flies over an island.
They must choose when to jump out to land at a specific map location.
Some Fortnite players were disqualified in the Major 1 tournament for using a program that told them the best time to exit the Battle Bus, pictured here. (Image credit: LVP/YoutTube)
Certain map locations are more desirable (i.e. contain specific weapons). Drop calculators tell players exactly how to get to the spots where they want to land.
“We’ve realized there is legit confusion on whether Fortnite competitive rules allow for use of drop calculators,” Fortnite Competitive said on X.
They said the confusion came from the fact that drop calculators used to be accessed through websites disconnected from the active game.
The problem is players were using software that accessed real-time game data, and that was against their rules.
“Given the confusion on this, disqualification of these players was a mistake and the DQs will be removed from their record,” Epic Games continued.
However, they said the disqualified players would still not be able to continue in the current tournament because the game lobbies were already full.
To make it up to those players and give them a chance to qualify for May’s summit, Epic Games hosted a “second chance” tournament on April 28.
In the end, Bugha did not do well enough in the second chance tournament to move onto this month’s Major 1 Summit.
Cheating in esports can have huge consequences, says expert
Despite Epic Games saying it was a mistake, some Fortnite players on social media said they still saw the drop calculators as cheating and that the players should have known better.
But many others said a warning should have been given first since top esports players spend tons of money and time to train for these types of high-level tournaments.
Thomas Burelli, a law professor at the University of Ottawa who teaches video game law, said he understands both perspectives.
“The thing is that what [Bugha] used is commonly accepted and regularly used in the Fortnite community,” he said. “I think players didn’t expect it to be punishable.”
That said, he told CBC Kids News that anything that enhances your performance that isn’t part of the game is risky.
“For a pro player, it wasn’t super smart to use it. I think they could have anticipated that this could have been viewed as cheating.”
And in esports, experts say being sensitive to what could get you in trouble is important.
“With esports, things that are seen as cheating, even small things, can make a player lose out on big sums of prize money,” said Josh Dial, a Calgary-based lawyer who has studied legal cases in esports cheating
Because so much is on the line in esports, he said gaming companies take cheating very seriously.
They are often looking out for what other players might see as unfair, he said.
They also have an interest in making it clear to their players that they have defences against cheating.
Dial said it’s an important part of developing esteem and trust among players. If players don’t see your competition as fair, they might not bother signing up.
Cheating can make you a buzzkill
Ultimately, Dial said it’s best for kids and teens to avoid cheating. There are exceptions.
In single player games, using cheat codes can actually make the game more fun by getting you access to items and skills you couldn’t otherwise.
Cheat codes have been used in single player mode throughout gaming history, including in Sims 2 (2004) where the classic ‘rosebud’ cheat gave the user more funds for building materials. (Image credit: EA Games)
Dial said there’s a long history of this in gaming, but the distinction is that it isn’t affecting anyone else’s gameplay.
If you’re gaming with other people online, there’s a difference.
“Kids should remember that the entire point is to have fun, and cheating deters others from having fun with you,” Dial said.
There is also, of course, the risk of being banned when you choose to cheat online.
Dial said kids should be particularly wary of cheating in esports environments where money is on the line because, in rare cases, it can result in legal action.
Burelli said that as gaming companies crack down more on cheating, kids interested in a career in esports should be cautious.
“It might seem like a shortcut to improve your performance, but it can ruin your gaming career,” he said.
“You could be banned from that game forever, and even if you try another esport, players in those games might be suspicious of you.”
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