Fortnite Chapter 2 leaker sued by Epic Games

Epic Games is suing a former Fortnite user experience tester for leaking details of Fortnite Chapter 2, claiming the leak spoiled "the suspense that Epic had been working to generate and build for months".

In the lawsuit, filed to a North Carolina court this week, Epic said Ronald Sykes broke a non-disclosure agreement after testing the game in September. In the weeks following the test, Sykes took to Twitter to reveal details about the upcoming update, Epic claimed in court documents reported by Polygon. Using multiple accounts, Sykes revealed the new map, the presence of swimming and boats, and upgrade stations, the studio said.

"Information is currency. Sykes cashed in on what he learned as a user experience tester for Epic. He did so at the expense of Epic and those in the Fortnite community who were anxiously awaiting the new season of Fortnite only to have some of Epic’s planned surprises spoiled by Sykes’ leaks," Epic said.

"Sykes’ spoilers did just what the word itself suggests: they diminished the anticipation of what was to come and the joy of looking forward to it. They detracted from the pleasure that the Fortnite community takes from the game because they deprived some of its members of the thrill that comes from the element of surprise and the delight of experiencing that surprise and the planned 'reveal' all together at the same time."

Epic is seeking damages, alongside the "the destruction of all copies of Epic’s trade secrets" in Syke's possession. "As a direct result of Sykes’ breach of his contractual obligations under his NDA, Epic has sustained and will continue to sustain damages in an amount to be determined," Epic said.

It's not the first time Epic has sued a Fortnite leaker: last year, it sued a former tester for revealing details about season 4.

Samuel is a freelance journalist and editor who first wrote for PC Gamer nearly a decade ago. Since then he's had stints as a VR specialist, mouse reviewer, and previewer of promising indie games, and is now regularly writing about Fortnite. What he loves most is longer form, interview-led reporting, whether that's Ken Levine on the one phone call that saved his studio, Tim Schafer on a milkman joke that inspired Psychonauts' best level, or historians on what Anno 1800 gets wrong about colonialism. He's based in London.