More pro Fortnite players caught cheating during World Cup qualifier

Steven Rondina Published 18/05/2019

Another collusion controversy has arisen ahead of the Fortnite World Cup.

A thread appeared on Reddit with a video showing players in the Asia regional qualifiers seemingly working together during solos. This is the second such instance of such collusion in the Fortnite World Cup qualifiers in the last month alone.

Despite playing in solo mode, a player using the handle SV_Gtea survives a firefight and inexplicably drops half of his bullets for his Drum Gun. Dropping ammunition of any kind serves no purpose for a player during solo play given the game’s non-existent carry restrictions, but dropping bullets for one of the weapons in his inventory actively hurts his chances. Another player named SV_Hootin works his way towards the bullets shortly thereafter and picks them up, leading many to believe that SV_Gtea was actively trying to help SV_Hootin by passing him ammo.

Details are scarce on the two players, but the shared “SV” tag at the beginning of their names implies a shared background.

The revelation comes following a similar case involving Damion “XXiF” Cook. The North American player was accused of having two friends join his game and feed him kills during a solo game in an effort to boost his score.

XXiF sealed up second place in his region for that week’s qualifiers, a performance that earned him a spot in the Fortnite World Cup. The collusion was noticed by fans shortly after it occurred, which led to an investigation from Fortnite publisher Epic Games. The publisher then leveled a light punishment on the three players, rescinding XXiF’s spot in the event and suspending them from competitive play for three weeks, but still offering them the opportunity to qualify again after the suspension had been served.

Unlike XXiF, neither SV_Gtea nor SV_Hootin managed to clear the intensely competitive Asian qualifiers. This will still likely lead to a suspension and a rescinding of previous prize winnings for the two players.

Though the Fortnite World Cup is set to be an amazing spectacle with a gargantuan $30 million prize pool, the qualifiers have been defined by hostility from Epic Games towards pro players, cheating scandals, and recognizable names like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Thomas “72hrs” Mulligan not yet making the cut.

The next round of qualifiers are set to take place this weekend. Expect more controversy to follow.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile