Epic Games has made a significant move in the battle against cheating, as the company has reached a settlement with a player who attempted to cheat his way to victory in the 2023 Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS). Morgan "RepulseGod" Bamford, the player at the center of the controversy, has been forced to return his prize money and post a public apology video to his YouTube channel. However, the apology, which lasted only 15 seconds, was hardly an emotional plea—it was more of a cold, written message on screen.
In his video, RepulseGod admits to sharing his Epic Games account with another player, "Forbes," in order to secure a spot in the 2024 FNCS grand finals. This act of dishonesty led to his disqualification just a day before the event, which had a $4 million prize pool. Despite the situation, RepulseGod initially earned $10,000 for his duo's performance during FNCS Major 3, which has now been returned as part of the settlement.
His apology video reads as follows:
“Hey everyone, this is RepulseGod. I shared my Epic Games account with another user, Forbes, to qualify for the 2024 Fortnite Championship Series Grand Finals. My actions violated Epic’s rules and I was disqualified from the tournament.
Epic took legal action against me, and now I’m banned from participating in Fortnite tournaments forever. I also have to pay a monetary settlement, which includes the prize money I received but did not win fairly, which Epic will donate to charity.
Cheating in tournaments ruins the fun for the players who earned their spot in tournaments, and I apologize to the Fortnite community for my actions. I won’t ever cheat in Fortnite again.”
The idea of a lifetime ban from Fortnite tournaments may seem like a fitting punishment, effectively ending any future temptation to cheat. But the public shaming doesn’t stop there. Epic's legal team has also taken action, making it clear that cheaters won't get away without consequences.
RepulseGod, who had been a consistent presence in the Fortnite pro scene since 2019, had a successful track record in Duo and Trio events, especially in the Oceania region. His most notable achievement was a second-place finish at the 2020 FNCS Invitational Grand Finals in Oceania. However, his attempts to cheat not only tarnished his reputation but also led to his permanent exclusion from competitive Fortnite.
Epic Games’ response to this incident was swift and public. A post on the official Fortnite Competitive X account read:
“Cheating is never a winning strat. We took legal action against a player who shared their account to unfairly qualify for FNCS. Now they’re banned from Fortnite tournaments forever and their undeserved prize money was donated to charity.”
This case is not just about punishing a cheater; it serves as a clear message to the community that Epic Games takes integrity seriously. The public nature of the punishment, combined with the charitable donation of the prize money, adds an extra layer of accountability.
The community’s reaction has been swift and filled with schadenfreude, as many have found amusement in watching a cheater face such a public consequence. This has prompted many to call for more aggressive actions against cheaters in the esports industry.
Rod “Slasher” Breslau, a well-known esports analyst, weighed in, suggesting that this kind of public shaming and legal action could be a game-changer for the industry:
“If every game developer sued and publicly shamed their cheaters, we could get this industry cleaned up in six months.”
While that might be a bit optimistic, there’s no doubt that Epic’s handling of RepulseGod’s case sends a clear message to anyone thinking about taking shortcuts in competitive gaming: cheating isn’t worth it. And as the Fortnite community watches this unfold, one thing is clear—Epic is doing everything it can to protect the integrity of its competitive scene.
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