Epic Games has reversed a wave of FNCS Major 1 disqualifications tied to the use of drop calculators. The company confirmed that the disqualifications were a mistake, and will be removed from the players’ records. At the same time, though, the company also stated that the affected players won’t be getting their tournament spot back.
Epic stated that “due to the tournament timing, the lobbies are now full for this event and it’s too late for them to continue in the current tournament.” This means that despite Epic’s admission of fault, the FNCS Major 1 run for players like Bugha, Tragic, Kreaz, and more is over.
“All future use of [Real-time Drop Calculator] tools is banned” says Epic
The issue stems from a gray area in Fortnite’s competitive rulebook. The existing rule bans “using any kind of cheating device, program, or similar cheating method to gain a competitive advantage.” However, the rulebook never specified where drop calculators stood. While classicaly these tools were just static websites, they have now evolved into real-time tools that connect to the live game.
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Real-time Drop Calculators can read bus routes in real-time, and feed data directly into overlays, putting them in a different category from their web-based predecessors. Epic will now update its rules to specify that any tool with access to the real-time state of the game is banned. This includes tools that access the game via memory, screen recording, screenshots, audio, network traffic, files, or overlays. Static informational web pages with no game-state access remain permitted.
#RestartGrands – Community reacts to Epic’s statement
Epic’s blunt statement on the outcome didn’t do enough to placate the fans or the affected players, with the community swiftly responding with “#RestartGrands”. Many community members, including former FNCS champions called Epic Games’ statement “the worst statement” in the game’s history.
Importantly, the decision to continue the tournament without the previously-disqualified players also robs them of the opportunity to compete at the upcoming FNCS Major 1 Summit in Dusseldorf. The tournament is set to take place at the end of May with a $1 Million prize pool.
