Fortnite professional player Jarvis Khattri has received a permanent ban for using cheating software while playing the video game.
Fortnite creator Epic imposed the permanent ban on Jarvis aver discovering that he used an aimbot, a cheating software the helps players land shots on opponents. Jarvis used the aimbot on a game account separate from the official account he uses for competition and streaming.
Following Epic's decision, Jarvis uploaded a video where he made an emotional appeal to have the permanent ban lifted. Fans also expressed their support for Jarvis and lobbied via social media.
On the video, the UK-based player expressed remorse for his actions, saying: "Obviously this is a huge mistake and it's completely wrong on my end."
However, Epic released a statement saying that it had a "zero-tolerance policy" for users of cheat software. The video game creator said: "When people use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly."
Fortnite is a "battle royale" type of video game that enables up to 100 players to fight individually or as part of a team to be the last survivor on a virtual battlefield. They gather materials to build structures that can be critical in the game's close-quarters firefights.
Meanwhile, Jarvis also tweeted that he is taking "accountability" for his actions but he said: "I just wish I had known how severe the consequences were at the time and I would have never thought about doing it."
Jarvis' fans has started using the hashtag #FreeJarvis to gather support for their objective of getting the ban lifted. Some of them even pointed out that Epic only impost two-week bans on other professional players it caught colluding during a recent tournament.
The ban has also resulted to a heated debate between popular gaming streamers Ninja and DrLupo during an online chat.
