Fortnite Cracks Down on Toxicity

• Epic bans thousands of Fortnite players after Delulu mode's launch on September 19
• Toxic behavior in proximity chat triggered mass reports and suspensions
• Suspensions range from two weeks to a month with severe cases facing permanent bans

Epic Games has issued a major wave of bans in Fortnite following the launch of its Delulu Limited Time Mode (LTM) on September 19. Thousands of accounts were suspended after players reported harassment and abusive language through the new Proximity Chat feature.

Delulu was introduced as a social mode but quickly became a hotspot for toxic behavior. Epic encouraged players to use the voice reporting tool, and the company confirmed on its official Fortnite Status handle on X that thousands of bans were applied over the weekend for violations including verbal abuse and racial slurs.

Fortnite has long enforced penalties for cheating, XP exploits, and third-party hardware use, with even high-profile creators facing bans in the past. The latest action shifts focus to voice chat, where most suspensions now range from two weeks to a month in competitive or ranked lobbies. Severe cases can result in temporary account-wide bans.

Players who believe they were wrongly banned can appeal through Epic’s website. Minor exploits, such as the recent Delulu Victory Umbrella trick, are not being targeted.

Epic’s response highlights its push to keep Fortnite’s competitive ecosystem fair and its new modes free from harassment. The crackdown makes clear that disruptive behavior in proximity chat will carry consequences just as serious as cheating.

Players expressed mixed feelings about the crackdown. Some viewed Proximity Chat as unnecessary, with one calling it “the worst feature ever added to the game,” arguing that mute and block options already cover the problem. Others were upset about how bans were applied, such as a player who said, “I got banned for an hour and then for no reason it turned into a week lmao.”

Not all feedback was negative; one player thanked Epic after confirming their report successfully got a harasser banned: “Already did and he’s banned now thanks Fortnite.” Meanwhile, some were simply confused about the enforcement system, asking if bans applied only to voice chat or to the entire game.

Epic’s communication suggests the studio is trying to strike a balance between moderation and freedom. However, the mixed response indicates that players are still divided on whether proximity chat enhances or detracts from the Fortnite experience.