Fortnite creators are raising concerns about the behavior of map creators in the UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) community. With $320 million in payouts generated last year, competition among creators has become fierce, leading to complaints and allegations of unfair play. Some creators have filed Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown requests, accusing others of trademark violations for copying their games. In response, Epic Games has been issuing automatic suspensions without proper investigation. This has caused frustration among creators who have been on the receiving end of “bogus” DMCA takedowns.
One major issue highlighted by Andre “Typical Gamer” Rebelo is “like cheating.” Some map creators are tricking players into “favoriting” their maps by placing an interaction over the “like” symbol in the game interface. When players click on it, they receive a message thanking them for favoriting the map, even though they were just trying to perform a regular action in the game. This deceptive tactic allows certain map makers to climb up the “most favorited” list, ensuring more players and potentially millions of dollars in revenue.
Epic Games responded to these concerns by urging creators to remove elements that trick players into favoriting islands, stating that it violates their rules. They also moved the “most favorited” list lower in the user interface to reduce its prominence. However, some creators feel that Epic’s response doesn’t go far enough in addressing the issues at hand.
The problems extend beyond DMCA takedowns and like cheating. Some map makers have tried to trademark common language used for popular maps to file DMCA strikes against other creators using similar names. It becomes difficult to determine ownership in a world of user-generated content, especially when creators borrow elements from real-world brands. This further complicates Epic Games’ ability to address competing DMCA takedown requests.
Rebelo emphasizes the need for due process when handling DMCA takedown requests. The current system of suspending maps for 10 days without proper evidence or investigation can severely impact a map’s momentum and revenue potential. Even if a strike is proven to be false, the damage is already done. Rebelo argues that the current process favors the accuser, and there are no repercussions for filing false DMCA claims.
Epic Games acknowledges the importance of balancing intellectual property rights and fostering innovation. They take bad faith uses of the DMCA system seriously and warn that abusers may face legal consequences and account bans. They also consider tricking players into liking or favoriting islands a violation of their rules and subject to monetization penalties.
Despite Epic Games’ response, Rebelo believes that more communication and transparency are necessary to address these issues effectively. He highlights the impact of these problems on creators who rely on Fortnite as a source of income for themselves and their teams. Rebelo’s concerns are shared by other popular creators like SypherPK.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how Epic Games will address these complaints and accusations. The outcome will shape the future of Fortnite’s community-focused version and its relationship with creators.