Cheating is one of the universal “don’ts” in gaming that everyone can acknowledge, and yet, people still do it. Whether it’s hacking software to try and get things to work the way you want them to, or using another program to screw with other players, cheating takes on many forms. Epic Games has been doing a lot to try and prevent cheating in their big hit Fortnite. Which is appreciated given the amount of players who play the title. However, one case seems a bit extreme…
You see, last year they brought a case to court where the defendant was a 14-year-old kid. Yes, they brought a minor to court because he was legitimately caught cheating. However, things took a turn when his mother came with him to court and blasted Epic Games for using him as a “scapegoat” for the cheating epidemic, and futhermore, she didn’t give him permission to play the game, so any “contract” he “signed” was voided. But, Epic Games isn’t giving up.
The mother filed a motion to dismiss and asked Epic Games to drop the case because of it, but the publisher will do no such thing. Saying that they have a right because he signed a contract whether he wants to admit it or not:
“This is because, ‘[i]f an infant enters into any contract subject to conditions or stipulations, he cannot take the benefit of the contract without the burden of the conditions or stipulations’.”
The whole thing is a sticky situation. No kids should have to be put into court like this, however, he was caught cheating, and by the by-laws of Fortnite, they have the right to sue. So, as you can see, it’s a mess, and it’s very unclear as to how this is going to get resolved. But we’ll keep you posted.
