Fortnite developer and publisher Epic Games announced that players residing in Russia will no longer be able to receive cash prizes in Fortnite Competitive tournaments.
In a statement released on Friday, it was stated that the ban would take effect immediately. Players residing in the Russian Federation will still be able to earn in-game cosmetic rewards in competitions.
“Players residing in Russia must complete the prize verification process for any previous tournaments and claim funds from Epic’s payment provider before March 22, 2022. If cash prizes remain unclaimed after March 22, 2022, they will be frozen until Epic’s payment service provider is able to resume prizing support for players residing in Russia.”
Fortnite Competitive
While Russia is not widely known in the Fortnite esports scene, the announcement will affect various Russian-based esports teams currently competing.
In response to the announcement, Danila ‘Malibuca’ Yakovenko, who finished 15th in the Fortnite Champion Series: Chapter 3 Season 1 – Grand Finals, tweeted his anger at the decision.
These sanctions were followed by other esports organizations such as ESL and BLAST Premier that removed Russia-based teams from their events. In addition, WePlay has cut ties with Russian and Belarusian esports organizations.
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