Is Buying Accounts Illegal Fortnite? Yes, and Here‘s Why You Should Avoid It

I get asked this question a lot as an avid Fortnite player and content creator – "is buying accounts actually illegal in Fortnite or just against the rules?".

The short answer? Yes, purchasing or selling Fortnite accounts is strictly prohibited by Epic Games and does violate their Terms of Service. If caught, both the seller‘s and buyer‘s accounts could potentially face permanent bans.

But why exactly does Epic crack down so hard on players who buy, sell or share accounts? Well, as someone who has followed Fortnite closely since launch and understands how these black markets work, let me break down exactly what the risks are, where things stand legally, and why you should avoid these practices altogether.

Epic Games Explicitly Prohibits Account Trading in Terms of Service

First, let‘s look specifically at what Epic‘s official rules say. In their Terms of Service, under Section 3 – License Conditions, they clearly state:

"You may not sell, gift, or transfer any Account, or offer to sell, gift, or transfer any Account, and any such attempt shall be null and void."

The key thing to understand is that you do not actually "own" your Fortnite account. Epic Games retains all ownership – you are essentially just licensing temporary access to use the account.

So that cool "Renegade Raider" skin you paid $500 for? If Epic bans the account, it can disappear instantly. You need to realize these digital goods have no intrinsic value outside of Fortnite itself.

Just How Common Are Fortnite Account Bans?

Epic Games hasn‘t released any public statistics around how many accounts get banned specifically for illicit trading activities.

However, there are a few pieces of evidence that suggest authorities are ramping up enforcement:

• According to data aggregators, over 1.5 million accounts were banned in 2020 alone for Terms of Service violations.
• Anecdotal reports on Reddit and gaming forums detail users who had purchased accounts, only to have them disabled later after Epic detected unauthorized access.
• Legal pressure from class action lawsuits may also incentivize Epic to crack down harder (more below).

Based on what I‘ve seen as both a player and analyst, Epic seems to be issuing more blanket bans across the board – including disabling any accounts purchased from unauthorized sellers.

Rather than targeting individual sellers, their goal seems to be discouraging the entire black market by instantly removing compromised accounts and items. Harsh, but undeniably effective if they want to stamp out the problem industry-wide.

Epic‘s Goal: Stop Black Markets and Scams from Hurting Fortnite

So why does Epic care so much about eliminating this black market for Fortnite accounts and rare skins? A few reasons:

Impact on Game Economy

If players can simply buy "OG" accounts with rare skins instead of grinding or purchasing them legitimately, it threatens the entire economy that underpins free games like Fortnite. It undermines the incentive to actually play and invest time progressing.

Brand Safety for Younger Players

Since a huge portion of Fortnite‘s audience skews young, account trading opens the door for predators and scams targeting kids. Even if some sellers themselves have innocent intentions, once accounts change hands in uncontrolled settings there‘s no telling where they might end up. Shutting this down helps mitigate bigger issues like cyberbullying or fraud.

Class Action Lawsuits

There is actually major litigation pending related to black market Fortnite skins that names both Epic Games and illegal sellers. The lawsuit alleges these underground trades diminish the value/exclusivity of items players worked hard to earn. If courts affirm these arguments, it creates even more legal urgency for Epic to enforce hard bans.

Based on these motivations, Epic seems committed to swift and sweeping account bans moving forward to protect Fortnite on all fronts.

Table: Key Statistics on Fortnite Black Markets

Here‘s a quick snapshot of some context around the issue:

Expert Tips: Avoiding Bans and Staying on the Right Side of the Law

As both an expert player and gaming industry commentator, here is my personal advice for staying on the right side of Epic‘s Terms of Service:

• Don‘t ever buy accounts – it will likely just lead to losing your money and progression when the account gets banned.
• Don‘t sell your own accounts – promoting these black markets perpetuates the problem.
• Grind and earn skins legitimately – this is the only way to securely own limited-time exclusives long-term.
• Report any trading behaviors you see – help Epic by flagging sellers and suspicious activity in-game.
• Encourage others not to trade – if your friends ever consider it, explain why it hurts all players.

I hope this gives you a more complete picture of whether buying Fortnite accounts violates Terms of Service. While Epic could be more transparent with hard ban statistics, all signs point to them taking an increasingly aggressive enforcement approach in the name of brand safety and integrity.

Let me know if you have any other Fortnite-related questions! As a niche expert and content creator in this space I‘m always happy to provide insight.