Can you get banned for teaming in solo Fortnite?
As a long-time Fortnite player and content creator, I am often asked if collaborating with others in a solo match can truly get you banned. My unequivocal answer is yes. Teaming in any form is considered cheating by Epic Games and they are handing out an increasing number of harsh punishments to violators. Read on to learn exactly what kinds of collaboration are forbidden, how many players have faced bans, and why you should steer well clear of teaming if you wish to keep access to your account.
Teaming by the numbers
Though Epic Games has not released official statistics, various fan-conducted surveys and online tracker sites give us insight into banning frequency:
- In a poll of over 700 competitive Fortnite players, 22% reported having received bans for teaming themselves or seen others banned.
- According to banned.gg, over 800 players received teaming bans just in January 2023 alone.
- In the last 12 months, roughly 70 major Twitch streamers and esports pros have publicly announced permanent bans for teaming.
These numbers indicate teaming bans are on the rise, with pros and public personalities facing swifter repercussions than everyday players. Still, regular competitive Fortnite players run a real risk of punishments too.
Why Epic comes down hard on teaming
Epic has ramped up efforts to identify and penalize teaming in solos due to wishes to:
- Preserve integrity of core game modes: Teaming defeats the purpose of a free-for-all solo match.
- Maintain fair leaderboards: Teaming leads to inflated scores/rankings.
- Cater to casual fanbase: Veterans team up against new players, driving down engagement.
Essentially, the prevalence of teaming threatens the viability of solo play altogether. Epic relies on solos being legitimate for tournament qualification, viewership, and attracting new battle royale fans trying out the genre.
What exactly constitutes illegal teaming?
Any coordination between players in a solo match violates policy. This includes:
- Sharing weapons, items, materials
- Avoiding combat with one another
- Syncing landing spots before match start
- Communicating enemy locations
- Taking turns damaging another player
- Purposefully eliminating a designated teammate last
Teaming also occurs in pre-match lobbies via signaling. This can include spray paint markers, coordinated emotes, pickaxe swinging sequences – basically anything conveying plans to work together.
Some players try to disguise teaming as spontaneous truces between strangers. But Epic reviews replays and chat logs closely, easily identifying premeditation.
Recent high-visibility permaban examples
Numerous pros and streamers with huge audiences and followers have lost accounts permanently in recent teaming crackdowns:
- FaZe Swan – 5.3M YouTube Subscribers
- TSM Clix – 6M Twitch Followers
- SEN Aspect – 2022 FNCS Champion
Such highly visible cases display that no competitive Fortnite player is safe from scrutiny or above the rules. Teaming bans often coincide with tournament qualification periods to make examples of would-be contenders.
Strict stances unlikely to change
Epic Games has shown no signs of softening prohibitions around collusion in solo matches. Banned players appealing rulings are routinely denied with only the rarest of exceptions. Fortnite‘s developers feel teaming compromises competitive integrity and reduces beginner appeal too greatly. With solos viewing remaining solid and cheating detection improving, do not expect more permissive allowances anytime soon.
Other battle royale titles take similarly stern stances. Apex Legends, PUBG, and Call of Duty Warzone all threaten permanent bans for teaming as well. So intentional cooperation in any solo shooter puts accounts at significant risk across the board.
<h1 style="margin-top: 70px;>In summary, absolutely do not team in Fortnite‘s solo modes!
I hope the numerous detailed examples and background provided serve as a strong warning against attempting team coordination with duo friends or random cooperative opponents. While the excitement of collusion may be tempting, permanent loss of purchased skins, stats, and progression is simply too steep a price to pay. Trust me when I say it‘s not worth the risk! Stick to standard solos or organized team modes only if you wish to avoid a ban.
