Video-game company sues cheating players who spoil it for everybody

Rogue online gamers have designed, sold or used computer code to crush competitors playing the popular “Fortnite” survival video game, spoiling the experience and the creator’s profit potential, the game’s maker charges in a series of lawsuits.

Cary, North Carolina-based Epic Games has sued three Americans and six foreign gamers from Sweden to South Africa for hacks that undercut the game played by more than 10 million players worldwide. The lawsuits, which were filed in North Carolina and California, allege violation of the game’s copyright and terms of use contract. One of their targets may be a 14-year-old Delaware boy.

Cheating gamers are able to overpower their opponents by using tools that allow them to see through solid objects, impersonate other players and make moves other players cannot, according to one lawsuit. Up to 100 people can play the game at a time.

When cheaters “gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly,” Epic Games spokesman Nick Chester said in an emailed statement. “We take cheating seriously, and we’ll pursue all available options to make sure our games are fun, fair, and competitive for players.”

“Fortnite,” which costs nothing to play online, generates revenue by charging players for cosmetic options, like different outfits for their virtual character, which don’t give players an edge against rivals. Some video-game makers are aggressively cracking down on cheaters, who they fear could drive away eyeballs from advertising some developers sell, said Kevin Greene, who teaches entertainment law at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.

“From the perspective of these game makers, it’s a big disruption,” Greene said.