Epic Games Files Lawsuit Against Fortnite Players for Fraud

News Summary

Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Ayob Nasser and Idris Nahdi for allegedly using automated bot accounts to manipulate player engagement metrics in Fortnite. The lawsuit, initiated on October 7, 2024, claims the duo created over 20,000 fake accounts to boost their island’s traffic for monetary rewards. Epic Games seeks damages for copyright infringement, as their actions threaten the integrity of the Island Creator Program, critical for rewarding legitimate content creators. The outcome could set significant precedents in online gaming practices.

Dearborn, Michigan – Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against two local residents, Ayob Nasser and Idris Nahdi, for allegedly using automated bot accounts to inflate player engagement metrics in violation of Fortnite’s terms of service. The legal action was initiated on October 7, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Nasser and Nahdi are accused of creating over 20,000 fake bot accounts that mimicked real players in order to generate artificial traffic to their Fortnite “island.” This deceptive practice aimed to secure monetary rewards based on the gameplay engagement of their content. Reports indicate that approximately 80-90% of the visitors to their islands were bots, which raised suspicions at Epic Games after the duo’s initial payout in December 2024 was significantly higher than expected.

The lawsuit claims that the actions of Nasser and Nahdi not only breached copyright laws but also undermined Epic Games’ efforts to foster legitimate engagement within the Fortnite community. Epic Games is seeking unspecified monetary damages and attorney fees related to the copyright infringement. Additionally, they have requested a court order to prevent Nasser and Nahdi from creating new accounts and accessing other Epic Games products in the future.

Fortnite, which launched in 2017, has grown into a widely popular free-to-play multiplayer game with over 500 million registered users. The game allows players to make in-game purchases with real-world money, using a virtual currency known as V-bucks. In March 2023, Epic Games introduced the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, enabling players to create and edit custom content.

As a part of this launch, the company also initiated the Island Creator Program. This program allocates 40% of net revenue generated from Fortnite’s item shop into a pool designated for creators, with payouts determined based on the popularity of their content and what is termed “player retention.” Both Nasser and Nahdi had agreed to the terms of the creator contract—Nahdi on December 30, 2023, and Nasser on March 4, 2023.

For Epic Games, the integrity of the Island Creator Program is crucial, as it is designed to ensure that genuine content creators are rewarded fairly based on actual engagement. The introduction of this program encouraged numerous creators to contribute effectively without resorting to artificially inflating their metrics through fraudulent means. The actions taken by Nasser and Nahdi could jeopardize the company’s relationships with legitimate developers who abide by the established rules.

While Nasser and Nahdi have yet to comment on the lawsuit, they currently do not have attorneys officially recorded in the case. The outcome of this lawsuit could set important precedents regarding acceptable practices within the vibrant and competitive landscape of online gaming content creation.

The allegations brought forth by Epic Games highlight a significant issue that gaming companies face regarding fraudulent activities and the integrity of user engagement metrics. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be imperative for organizations to develop stronger measures that uphold the fairness of their platforms and protect honest creators from such deceptive practices.

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