Epic Games Sues Two Fortnite Players Over Alleged Botting Scheme

Epic Games, the developer behind the immensely popular game Fortnite, has initiated legal proceedings against two individuals accused of exploiting the game's creator program through a sophisticated botting operation. The lawsuit targets Idris Nahdi and Ayob Nasser, alleging they deployed a vast network of over 20,000 automated accounts to artificially boost engagement on their user-generated maps, thereby siphoning off significant funds intended for genuine content creators. This action underscores Epic's commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its creator ecosystem and ensuring equitable compensation for developers who contribute valuable content to the Fortnite community.

Fortnite boasts a thriving ecosystem of user-created experiences, known as 'islands,' where players can design and share their own game modes. To incentivize creativity, Epic Games established a creator program that rewards map developers based on various metrics, including session length, player engagement, and in-game purchases. This program distributes millions of dollars annually to community creators. However, Nahdi and Nasser allegedly devised a scheme to manipulate this system. They created multiple islands and, between December 2024 and February 2025, used bots to simulate player activity on their creations. Epic's filing claims that between 88% and 99% of the engagement on these maps was fabricated.

The individuals allegedly utilized a cloud gaming service to program these bot accounts, enabling them to 'play' on their own Fortnite islands remotely. To further obscure their illicit activities, Nahdi and Nasser reportedly spread the fake engagement across numerous developer accounts and islands. Epic Games states that the duo managed to accumulate tens of thousands of dollars through this deceptive practice. However, once Epic's internal systems detected anomalies and halted payments, the bot activity abruptly ceased. Following this, Epic instructed Nahdi and Nasser to discontinue playing Fortnite and to destroy all copies of the game, a directive they reportedly ignored, leading to the current legal battle.

Epic Games is now seeking to reclaim the funds paid out as a result of the alleged fraud and to uphold the fairness and trustworthiness of its creator program. The company emphasizes that developers rely on the program's payout terms, which are designed to reward genuine player engagement. The actions of Nahdi and Nasser, according to Epic, not only undermine its relationship with legitimate developers but also diminish the pool of funds that would otherwise be distributed fairly. The lawsuit aims to send a clear message that such fraudulent activities will not be tolerated within the Fortnite ecosystem.

Beyond monetary compensation, Epic has requested that the court impose a ban on Nahdi and Nasser, preventing them from creating new Epic accounts or playing Fortnite in the future. Interestingly, the filing extends this prohibition to their "heirs and successors," a clause that has garnered some attention for its broad scope. While the likelihood of such a far-reaching ban being enforced on future generations remains uncertain, it highlights the seriousness with which Epic views these violations and its determination to protect the integrity of its platform and its community of creators. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges game developers face in combating sophisticated forms of fraud and manipulation within their online ecosystems.