A couple of weeks ago, Epic Games took down Fortnite in its entirety and followed up with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 2. Now, it’s come to our attention that the developer is suing a former employee who was responsible for leaking teasers of the new game season ahead of its launch.
The video game developer and owner of the Unreal Engine filed a lawsuit against Ronald Sykes with the District Court in North Carolina, US. According to the company, Sykes was one of Epic Games’ “User Experience” playtesters for Fortnite Chapter 2, which explains how he was able to gain access to Season 11 of the game, before its initial release.
The company further says that Sykes, after obtaining information about the new season, proceeded to tweet information regarding Fortnite Chapter 2 via an alternate Twitter account. Even after he had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
In the aftermath of the leak, Epic Games says that Sykes’ actions have affected the number of people that were interested in the game and that leaks tend to “lessen the excitement and enthusiasm of a game’s players and audience”. The company also said – quite dramatically – that it has sustained damages from the leak and that it will continue to sustain damages in an “amount to be determined”.
Fortnite Chapter 2 launched on 15 October. Like all newly released games, the new chapter and season introduce a new map, weapons and vehicles, as well as new gameplay features and mechanics. Examples of these new features includes the ability for players to pick up wounded or down players and carrying them to a safe place, and the introduction of driving and battling on boats.
(Source: WRAL Tech Wire via Hot Hardware)
