Fortnite Macros – How Big of a Problem Is It?

Fortnite
June 15, 2020
Jordan Ashley

Fortnite is finally about to enter a new season, but something else has been occupying the minds of the best Fortnite players recently. It seems the debate over control methods goes way beyond just controllers and keyboards. A few notable players have been accused of using Fortnite macros. This is a form of cheating, but one that might be surprisingly prevalent.

The issue came into light recently after a series of now-deleted tweets from Zayt These accused major pro players of using macros. Then, one of the biggest players in the OCE region was exposed as using macros. While Fortnite has usually escaped the macros scandals that hit other Esports, does it have a problem with them?

Fortnite macros

© Fortnite

What Are Fortnite Macros?

Macros are key bind shortcuts. These aren’t the type that everybody uses though. By setting up macros, you can perform more than one action by hitting a single key. In Fortnite, macros can be used to speed up building primarily. You can bind a commonly used structure to a macro, and be able to execute a few movements in one. This can give players the appearance of lightning-fast movements.

Are Fortnite Macros Allowed?

Fortnite macros aren’t allowed in the game. They’re considered cheating and you can get banned for using them. They provide a player with an unfair advantage by automating part of the game. While it might not seem as obvious as an aimbot, in both cases you’re using your PC to play the game for you.

Pros Accused of Using Macros

The Fortnite macros argument has reared its head again recently, partially when player Zayt went on a bit of a Twitter ramble about other players. He promised to ‘expose pros that use macros’. Zayt named six players but seemed to specifically focus in on Tfue. He claimed he had proof of Tfue using binds. On Jun 9th, he tweeted that Tfue will never get banned despite cheating because he’s the biggest streamer. In the past, Zayt has claimed that ‘there’s no evidence of anyone using macros, except Tfue”.

Without much evidence to go off of, we can’t really say if this is true. The tweets have also since been deleted. Tfue hasn’t acknowledged the accusations against him but has weighed in on another player’s macros troubles.

One player who has been caught though is Serpent AU. He has a huge YouTube following for his Fortnite skills but has been using Fortnite macros to get ahead. Overtime Gaming has now dropped SerpentAU because of using Fortnite macros.

Are Fortnite Macros a Big Problem?

When a form of cheating seems to be flying around a lot, it can ruin the competitive integrity of a game. This makes Fortnite not as much fun to play, but also invalidates the competitive events. You can’t really bet on Fortnite if pros are cheating. Since a lot of competitive Fortnite is played at home, it can be difficult to always catch when playing are doing things like using Fortnite macros. This kind of makes them a big deal. If Epic wants to maintain competitive integrity, then they need to make sure all allegations of cheating are investigated, no matter big of a name is involved.

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