Yesterday, Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, called out a Twitter account for creating a cryptocurrency scam with Fortnite in the name. The recently deleted account Sweeney mentioned, Fortnite Token, was promoting a fake cryptocurrency platform for “creating, collecting and trading unique NFTs on OpenSea and Fortnite markets!” However, Sweeney revealed the developer of Fortnite, Epic Games, is not conducting business with Fortnite Token, therefore the account was committing fraud. Due to the account manipulating people, Sweeney assured legal action was taking place to shut down the account and scam.

In his tweet, Sweeney stated, “There isn’t a Fortnite cryptocurrency. The Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic’s lawyers are on it. Also, shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing.” Only a few minutes prior to his tweet, Sweeney also replied to several of Fortnite Token’s posts with short comments like, “scam”, “this is a scam”, and ” that’s a scam .”

There isn’t a Fortnite cryptocurrency. The Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic’s lawyers are on it. Also, shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022

Eventually, Fortnite Token replied to Sweeney, defending their operation with, “Instead, this is a fair-launch, community-driven, Fortnite game fans-created cryptocurrency project with no specified owner or company structure behind it or a CEO deciding on its future.” Sweeney retorted with, “That’s not how trademarks and copyrights work though. You can’t use the Fortnite name and images without permission to market an unrelated product.”

That’s not how trademarks and copyrights work though. You can’t use the Fortnite name and images without permission to market an unrelated product.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022

One critic of Sweeney and Fortnite’s in-game transactions, responded to Sweeney’s tweet with, “Oh man you’d wish to have a Fortnite currency to sell to the 12-year-olds. The scams wouldn’t be as broad if [cryptocurrency] markets didn’t exist, so why are you allowing NFT and other similar garbage games on your store???” In a lukewarm defense, Sweeney asserted “When new technology emerges, some put it to good use, and others put it to bad use. It would be terribly shortsighted to ban an entire field of technology for such a reason.” As some have pointed out, NFTs, cryptocurrency, and data-mining have rarely been used been put to “good use” due to the vast amount of environmentally harmful carbon dioxide released from the creation of blockchains, equalling the carbon footprint of some countries. Furthermore, Epic Games is sued quite often for predatory business practices, such as copyright infringement of artists’ dance moves, gambling via Fortnite‘s random lootboxes, and intentionally breaching their terms of contract with Apple.

When new technology emerges, some put it to good use, and others put it to bad use. It would be terribly shortsighted to ban an entire field of technology for such a reason.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022