Fortnite Tokens: Why Epic Games doesn’t want you near them

Fortnite "tokens" is a title often seen when browsing the game's Twitch directory. At first glance, it's unclear what the word tokens means in the context of a Fortnite broadcast. Upon closer inspection, the picture becomes much more straightforward.

Fortnite tokens are a seemingly clever way to tiptoe around the word wager. Unfortunately, those who partake in tokens are constantly flirting with catastrophic disciplinary action that could negatively alter their competitive or streaming careers.

Epic Games stands by its terms of service (TOS)—a document all players must abide by while playing Fortnite. Anyone who does not follow the rules subjects themselves to temporary suspensions and even outright bans in extreme cases. Highly publicized instances have come to light over the last five years. Cheaters, hackers, collusion and even casters flaming other players are a few aspects of TOS violations that force Epic Games to take action.

Another component — gambling — is a concept the developers have not policed as much as the others. You may be asking what exactly constitutes gambling in Fortnite? Wager matches seem to be the primary reason for this TOS clause.

A wager match occurs when players bet money, play against one another and the victor collects their winnings from the losing party. It's a simple concept and one that's quite popular in rival Battle Royale title Call of Duty: Warzone. However, Epic Games has clarified that wager matches constitute gambling, thus violating TOS.

Epic's enforcement of gambling dates back to March 2021. During that time, popular Fortnite streamers and top players would rely on wager matches for content and skill sharpening. That remained the case until March 25, when Fortnite superstar Cody "Clix" Conrod vowed to stop participating in wager matches.

Wager matches went away for some time following Clix's informative tweet. Not long after, a popular wager match hub Rematch.gg revealed they would no longer support wagering effective the following month. It's no coincidence this announcement also occurred in March.

It seemed wagers and gambling related to Fortnite would cease to exist, considering the pressure from Epic Games. However, in a surprising turn of events, wagers suddenly reappeared in the Fortnite under a new alias — tokens. 

Suddenly, tokens became a common phrase on social media platforms and Twitch. It did not take long to realize that tokens are wager matches under a new pseudonym. Months and months passed without any action from Epic Games. Players of all different skill and popularity levels partook in tokens each passing season. These matches continued without repercussions until this week when the developers issued critical bans to a pair of European competitors.

The two players — Kayd and Swifty — received an in-game notification during the first Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) qualifier. Swifty, who competes under LootBoy Esports, tweeted a screenshot of the disciplinary message, stating that he violated rule 8.3 Wagering. Therefore, Epic banned his account for 30 days and effectively eliminated the player's FNCS dreams for two consecutive seasons. Kayd's tweet read the same; the two partook in Fortnite tokens received the same punishment.

Kayd and Swifty have since provided proof that a group of individuals mass reported their accounts—a move that led to the punishment. Regardless, Epic's decision remains intact. As a result, there's little that either player can do to appeal the ruling.

Anyone that violates TOS puts themselves in a vulnerable position. Renaming tokens to wagers did not fool Epic Games, and it's a lesson worth considering for prospective FNCS competitors present and future.

Fortnite caster Javier "MonsterDface" Collazo called this situation "laughable." Many players, including some of the world's best, believed calling wager matches "tokens" would fool Epic Games.

That is not the case, and now the term has completely vanished from the Fortnite category on Twitch. In conclusion, wager matches are not worth risking a two-season FNCS ban and forgoing legitimate prize winnings. Here are some important factors to remember about Fortnite tokens: