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Written by
Compliance Team
13th December, 2024

Fortnite’s new update: Will it make child players safer?

Epic Games has announced new safety features for Fortnite that provide players with tools to protect personal information and report other players in its new expanded text chat. Such measures include an updated communications filter and additional user reporting functionality. In this positive step to protect its players, we are keen to monitor the efficacy of these tools in supporting the safety of their child audience.

A close-up of a monitor with 'Fortnite' displayed across it, in the game's recognisable white font of all caps in a playful, comic style, with a baby blue background. In the foreground of the image is a black keyboard with a colourful backlit keyboard.

 Yesterday, Fortnite introduced new text chat functionality with two new chat filters across all Fortnite islands: 

  • The ‘personal information’ filter, which is intended to remove information like email addresses and banking details. 
  • An updated version of the ‘mature language’ filter, which is intended to remove toxic or otherwise inappropriate language. 

These filters will always be on for players with an account age of under 13; the personal information filter will be on by default for those under 18, and the mature language filter will be on by default for those under 16.

Beyond text filters, features to support the safety of its users include an expansion of Fortnite’s player reporting system. Since November 2023, players have been able to submit audio evidence of suspected violations of the community rules to curb bullying, harassment, discrimination, or other inappropriate behaviour. Yesterday’s update expands the reporting system to allow text messages to be submitted as evidence. Such measures will always be enabled for Game Channels, as well as all public and private text conversations, where a player’s account age is under 18. If players want to then check the status of reports, they can do so through a unique link or ID number. 

These new features will sit alongside the ‘Cabined Accounts’ introduced to Epic Games products in 2022. Epic’s ‘Cabined Accounts’ are an initiative to provide a “safe and inclusive” experience for its child users when navigating the Epic Store or Launcher. It means that accounts with a registered age under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent (AODC), whichever is higher, must obtain verified parent or guardian consent before they can use certain features such as voice chat or monetary purchases. Said parents or guardians will then need to set up their desired Parental Controls to view and set permissions for child accounts. For older players, they can manage their settings in a new ‘Communications’ tab in Fortnite. 

We see these changes as a positive step that will help mitigate some of the residual risks inherent in any game that allows users to communicate with each other. Player collaboration and socialisation can be a positive experience for children, provided there are appropriate safeguards in place. Though these changes are new and their efficacy as of yet is untested, we are keen to follow their impact and user reception. 

*This article was edited on the 16th of December 2024. Correcting the explanation around the application of the new filters depending on certain age groups and clarifying the conditions of “Cabined Accounts”.