Cryptocurrency and scammers have a long-standing relationship, and it’s not going to end anytime soon. As such, it appears that an unofficial Fortnite cryptocurrency is circulating in the crypto market unbeknownst to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
Tim Sweeney is not very happy with token creators. The cryptocurrency in question is called Fortnite Token and first came into being around the end of 2021. With the big “F” and the resounding “Fortnite” logo font, there’s no doubt that the creators had no intention of passing the currency, posing as the “official” project for the popular battle royale.
Hi world! 😆 pic.twitter.com/FyXymPsCd5
— Fortnite Token (@fortnite_token) December 31, 2021
The creators of Fortnite Token have been able to promote the currency without alerting anyone at an alarming rate for some time. Their Twitter profile is filled with the promotion of their NFT project. It wasn’t recently that Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, caught wind of this project.
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Sweeney resumed Fortnite Token activity on May 29, 2022, when they tweeted an OpenSea marketplace link to sell the acquired tokens through the official Fortnite Token website after the strike. OpenSea is a popular NFT trading site where you can buy or sell NFTs.
Start minting your NFT creations on the fntoken site and sell on OpenSea! 😈 https://t.co/bMATjzPEbU$FNT #FNT #FNTOKEN #opensea
— Fortnite Token (@fortnite_token) May 29, 2022
Without hesitation, Sweeney responded to the tweet with a simple, “It’s a scam.” to which Fortnite Token responded, saying, “Fortnite Token is not a scam cryptocurrency project. Instead, it is a cryptocurrency project created by fans of Fortnite games, launched fairly and community-driven, with no specified owner or corporate structure behind it or a CEO deciding its future.”
That’s not how trademarks and copyrights work. You may not use the Fortnite name and images without permission to market any unrelated product.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022
Sweeney replied, “That’s not how trademarks and copyrights work. You can’t use the Fortnite name and images without permission to market an unrelated product.” Suffice it to say, Sweeney scrolled through at least 3-4 tweets to reply the exact same thing.
After back and forth with the folks at Fortnite Twitter, Sweeney tweeted that Epic Games lawyers are already on the case.
There is no Fortnite cryptocurrency. Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic’s lawyers are on it. Also, shame on the cryptocurrency markets that allow this sort of thing.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022
And I guess the lawyers did an exceptional job because the token is no longer on the OpenSea marketplace.
Additionally, following the altercation, the official Fortnite Token Telegram channel has also been removed.
Dear Fortnite token community, our telegram channel is blocked. Please join our new group: https://t.co/ibWi8HMaJ7
Reddit: https://t.co/AGNc8zWxVV#FNToken #FNT #crypto pic.twitter.com/WoduwVWcCa— Fortnite Token (@fortnite_token) June 7, 2022
Sweeney’s displeasure with the Fortnite token doesn’t mean he’s against the idea of incorporating some form of cryptocurrency into the gaming mix. In response to a Twitter user accusing Sweeney of supporting the idea of having “Fortnite currency to sell to 12-year-olds,” Sweeney points out that with the technology emerging, some are finding good uses and others are finding negative uses. He further added that an entire domain should not be banned just because a few people use technology to negatively influence people.
When a new technology emerges, some people use it well and some people misuse it. It would be terribly myopic to ban an entire area of technology for such a reason.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 6, 2022
In the tweet above, the Twitter user linked the article talking about an NFT-based game which is listed on the Epic Games Store.
Sweeney’s stance on cryptocurrency isn’t diminishing because he believes in it. This was indicated by his tweet in October 2021. Sweeney welcomed the idea of hosting games that work and use blockchain as long as they comply with “relevant laws”. He also clarified that none of Epic’s games, such as Fortnite, will ever incorporate any form of crypto.
This was controversial, given Sweeney’s past comments about integrating NFTs into games.
Replied :
We don’t touch NFTs because the whole field is currently tangled with an unsolvable mix of scams, interesting decentralized tech foundations, and scams.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 27, 2021
Sweeney followed up with an explanation that might not make much sense to many. According to its past tweets, Epic Games makes a clear distinction between the business as a game developer and a technology company. What he tried to convey is that while developers won’t come close to NFTs, the tech company is ready to accept NFTs with open arms. Yes, we are as puzzled as you are.
Here’s part of a thread about the distinctions we make between Epic as a game developer and Epic as a provider of technology and services to others:https://t.co/sXmQyTXdrz
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) October 16, 2021
Thanks to Epic Games’ welcoming nature towards crypto-based games, a new NFT-based game called Grit will be listed on the Epic Games Store.
BREAK: #NFT game platform @GoGalaGames announces a partnership with @EpicGames to launch the Battle Royale Grit game on the Epic Games Store! 🤯🔥
First NFT game integration between Web2 & Web3! Huge day for NFT games at #galaverse! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/SHTmnFiB2s
— brycent 🚀 (@brycent_) June 6, 2022
Despite Tim’s legal threat, Fortnite Token doubled down on promoting the token.
‼️📢Official Fortnite Token Links:
Website: https://t.co/7GG4HJeYk5
Bsc Scan: https://t.co/zyKST9dEVS
Reddit: https://t.co/AGNc8zWxVV
Telegram Group: https://t.co/ibWi8HMaJ7#FNT #FNTSwap #FNToken #cryptocurrency #CryptoNews pic.twitter.com/VTcJt8ilBt— Fortnite Token (@fortnite_token) June 7, 2022
In the end, you are your own judge. It is important to research whatever project you are investing in. It’s a vast digital occupation space filled with all kinds of people. The bad and the good reside, and you should beware of your digital space.