Fortnite is preparing to implement significant changes aimed at curtailing the number of players who unfairly ascend the competitive ranks by frequenting bot lobbies. This ongoing issue, prevalent across various multiplayer shooters, has triggered considerable debate among gamers about the impact of AI bots on match quality.
Gameplay in shooter titles often suffers when there’s an oversaturation of AI opponents, leading players to vocally criticize developers. While some games, like Overwatch 2, are incorporating bots to assist newcomers in their Quickplay modes, Fortnite is opting for a more stringent approach.
Fortnite Implements Penalties for Bot Lobby Exploitation
In a recent X post (formerly Twitter), Fortnite shared an update on their efforts to combat cheating within the game.
An update on our ongoing efforts to combat cheating: we’ve recently taken action against players using party and account loopholes, or “bot lobbies”, to manipulate their Ranked standing and other competitive systems. We want Fortnite to be fun and fair for all players – anyone… pic.twitter.com/whPR0iancj
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) January 29, 2025
The developers indicated they are now targeting players who exploit party and account loopholes—commonly referred to as bot lobbies—to manipulate their competitive ranks. For those who have taken advantage of the surge in AI bots to improve their standings, a warning has been issued: “anyone found using these methods will face significant penalties.”
Since the launch of Fortnite OG, players have noted a steep rise in the number of bots populating games, which has frustrated many. However, some have begun to exploit this trend, diving into bot-heavy lobbies to grind levels more rapidly, noting that AI opponents lack the challenge posed by human players.
Achieving a higher rank in Fortnite is not merely a superficial accolade; it unlocks access to exclusive competitions and tournaments, adding to the incentive for players to cheat. In the past, Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite, has even pursued legal action against individuals selling hardware and software hacks aimed at creating an unfair advantage.
While the full scope of the consequences for exploiting bot lobbies remains unclear, it is likely that developers will impose bans on those found repeatedly leveraging these tactics.
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