A Fortnite player has been hit with a massive $175,000 penalty and a permanent ban after losing a lawsuit filed by Epic Games for cheating in a tournament.
The legal battle began on December 18, 2024, when Epic announced it was taking the player to court for using both cheating software and hardware during a competitive Fortnite event.
The cheater tried to cover their tracks by hopping between multiple accounts, but their tactics failed to fool Epic’s detection systems.
“Cheating has no place in Fortnite and we’re doing everything we can to stop it, including legal action,” Epic said at the time.
Now, the long arm of the law has come for the cheat abuser – and the punishment is nothing to scoff at.
Fortnite cheater banned for life and ordered to pay $175,000
On June 25, 2025, Epic confirmed the judge ruled in their favor after the defendant ignored the lawsuit. The result? A court order demanding the player pay $175,000 in damages. Epic also revealed that any money collected will be donated to charity and that the player has been permanently banned from Fortnite.
“The Judge ruled in our favor after the cheater ignored our lawsuit,” Epic stated. “The player is required to pay $175,000 and we’ll donate what we collect to charity. They are also banned from playing Fortnite forever.”
The ruling has been met with widespread praise across the gaming community.
“Setting a good precedent that hopefully every gaming company follows when it comes to dealing with cheaters in ultra competitive environments!” tweeted ModernWarzone.
“Bro is legally required to back down and give up,” added Fortnite creator NickEh30.
This isn’t the first time Epic has turned to the law to take on cheaters. In February, RepulseGod posted an apology video where they admitted sharing their Epic Games account with another user to qualify for the 2023 Fortnite Championship Grand Finals.
The player was banned from Fortnite tournaments forever and also had their prize money donated to charity.
