Epic Games explains why FaZe Jarvis deserves Fortnite ban

Olivia Richman Published 07/11/2019

Developer Epic Games has finally issued a statement on their decision to permanently ban Frazier “Jarvis” Kaye after the 17-year-old streamer posted a video using an aimbot cheating software while playing Fortnite.

FaZe Clan’s Jarvis had posted an emotional apology earlier this week, begging Epic Games to forgive him for his “big mistake.”

But apparently being “truly sorry” was not enough for Epic, who are standing by the harsh punishment.

“We have a zero tolerance policy for the usage of cheat software,” an Epic Games spokesperson told The Sun. “When people use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly.”

Jarvis had previously uploaded a video of himself using an aimbot software, which allowed the streamer to “never miss a shot.”

Even though Jarvis pointed out that he wasn’t using the cheating software in a competitive mode in the video, which has since been taken down, he had told fans he planned to play squads or duos while using an aimbot if they liked the video enough.

With over two million subscribers on YouTube, the popular streamer’s continued use of aimbot may have inspired his younger fans to use their own cheats in Fortnite.

Epic Game’s inconsistent punishments and bans

It’s curious that Epic Games claim to have a “zero tolerance policy” for cheating software, but previously didn’t take such a strong stance for other forms of cheating.

Damion “Rise XXiF” Cook became one of the most hated figures in the Fortnite community when he received only a 14-day ban for cheating in the World Cup qualifiers. But the anger soon turned to Epic Games over the punishment, which pros, streamers, and fans all felt was very light. The outcry increased when XXiF was able to qualify for the World Cup once he came back from his brief ban.

While XXiF wasn’t using an aimbot cheat, he was still “ruining the game for people who were playing fairly.” He was also cheating during Fortnite’s largest and richest tournament to date, while FaZe Jarvis had been using an aimbot in a non-competitive mode.

Still, Jarvis’ permaban may in part be Epic’s response to the harsh backlash they received from giving XXiF such a light sentence. The battle royale’s competitive community has been demanding that Epic take the competitive side of Fortnite more seriously, and this could be an answer to those demands..

Either way, this inconsistent punishment wasn’t lost on FaZe Clan owner Ricky Banks. He called the ban “fucking ridiculous” for this very reason. FaZe Banks also started the hashtag #FreeJarvis.

Ninja not alone standing up for Jarvis

Famous Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins received some harsh feedback from fans and his own teammates when he suggested that Epic should reduce Jarvis’ sentence to six months.

While Ninja agreed that Jarvis deserved punishment for his actions, he felt that the young streamer should catch a break because of his popularity and his status as a content creator.

“Let’s be realistic here. There are people who get favoritism. But without your content creators, there’s a negative impact on your game,” Ninja explained in a stream.

But the Mixer megastar wasn’t the only one to take FaZe Jarvis’ side. The Sun reported that the streamer’s mother, 60-year-old Barbara Khattri, had also spoken up for her son.

“Jarvis made an error and he admits that. He’s broken. He loves that game. He doesn’t have a devious bone in his body,” she said. “What I really know is that for any mistake that doesn’t physically harm a person, there should be the chance to make amends.”

Epic Games apparently disagrees with that sentiment, as do many fans who remain happy with the permanent ban despite Ninja and Banks coming to Jarvis’ defense.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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