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Epic Games’ Fortnite Cheat Case Ended With a Settlement and Public Apology

Brandon Despotakis, known as BlazeFN, settled Epic’s case over Fortnite cheats and accounts. The settlement included business closure, undisclosed damages and a public apology—but the available records do not confirm a Fortnite account ban.
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Brandon John Despotakis, known online as BlazeFN, settled a case with Epic Games after selling Fortnite cheat software and accounts. The reported settlement required him to close the business and pay undisclosed damages, and Despotakis published an apology. The available records do not establish that Epic separately banned his Fortnite account as part of the settlement.

Who was BlazeFN, and what did he sell?

BlazeFN was the online name used by Brandon John Despotakis, the respondent in Federal Court of Australia case NSD326/2021. An interim order dated April 28, 2021, restrained him from developing, distributing, selling, or offering specified Fortnite cheat software, login credentials, and accounts. Its schedule listed examples including aimbots, spoofers, cheats, and Fortnite accounts. Read the Federal Court order.

GameSpot reported that Epic alleged—and the court determined, according to its account—that Despotakis violated Fortnite’s EULA and terms of service, infringed Epic’s copyright, and unlawfully sold cheats and accounts. GameSpot says the proceedings began in April 2021. GameSpot’s May 9, 2022 report describes the later settlement.

What did the settlement require?

GameSpot reported that Despotakis agreed to close his business and pay damages to Epic. The amount was not disclosed, and Epic was to donate the damages to the children’s charity Child’s Play. The report also said it was unclear how many cheats or accounts had actually been sold. The asset-freeze ceiling associated with the court proceedings should not be mistaken for the settlement amount.

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Did Epic make him apologize?

Despotakis posted a public statement on Twitter on May 9, 2022, one week after the settlement, according to GameSpot. He wrote: “I’d like to apologize to the Fortnite community. What I did was illegal and gave players an unfair advantage over other people who play by the rules. I won’t do this ever again.” GameSpot reproduced the statement; the available reporting ties it to the settlement, not to the 2021 interim order as a court-ordered apology.

GameSpot also quoted Epic’s explanation of why it pursues cheat and compromised-account sales: “Selling compromised player accounts and cheat technologies puts people’s information at risk and ruins the experience for people who are playing fairly. We take the illegal sale of these items seriously and we’ll pursue all available options to make sure our games remain fun, fair and never pay-to-win.”

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Was BlazeFN banned from Fortnite?

The court order and settlement reporting establish legal restraints on Despotakis’s sales activity, business closure, damages, and public apology. They do not establish a specific Fortnite account ban imposed on him under the settlement. Epic’s later ban policy is useful context for how it handles cheating generally, but it is not evidence of the sanction in this case.

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How does Epic punish Fortnite cheating now?

In an anti-cheat update published February 27, 2025, Epic said a first cheating offense results in a one-year matchmaking ban and a second offense in a lifetime ban. For cheating in tournaments, Epic described a one-year matchmaking ban, a lifetime tournament ban, and possible loss of past tournament winnings for a first offense; a second offense results in a lifetime ban. Epic also said cheat sellers and certain other lifetime-ban rulebreakers remain subject to lifetime bans. These are Epic’s stated 2025 policies, not terms of the BlazeFN settlement. Epic’s February 27, 2025 anti-cheat update has the policy details.

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Epic’s support guidance says temporary Fortnite bans can last up to 365 days, while permanent bans are indefinite. Matchmaking bans block entry to Fortnite experiences. For a sanction appeal, Epic directs players to its Sanctions and Appeals Portal and requires the sanction ID. Its Safety Center says eligible sanctions can be appealed once; a human moderator may uphold, lift, or modify the sanction. See Epic’s Fortnite ban guidance and Sanctions and Appeals.

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