Fortnite Cheater Fined $175K and Banned for Life After Tournament Scam

A Fortnite player has been permanently banned and hit with a staggering $175,521 fine after repeatedly cheating in competitive tournaments, according to developer Epic Games.

Sebastian Araujo, a resident of Lomita, California, was sued by Epic for using a hardware spoofer to bypass anti-cheat systems while participating in 839 paid Fortnite tournaments over just four months. Despite ignoring the lawsuit, Araujo ultimately lost the case, with Epic securing a decisive legal victory.

💰 From $6.8K in Winnings to $175K in Fines

While Araujo earned at least $6,850 in tournament prizes, his fine is more than 25 times higher. Here's how the total breaks down:

• $167,800: $200 minimum statutory copyright fine for each of the 839 tournaments.
• $7,721: Legal fees and court costs.

The court acknowledged the fine far exceeded Araujo’s earnings but justified it due to the “significant measures” he took to avoid detection, including creating fake accounts and employing spoofing hardware.

Epic initially sought an even larger fine—an extra $100,000 in copyright damages—but the judge ruled that amount “would be excessive” given the context.

⚖️ Epic Continues Crackdown on Cheaters

This isn’t the first time Epic has made an example of a tournament cheater. In February 2025, the company publicly embarrassed another violator by requiring them to post an apology video and permanently banning them as well.

Epic has pledged that all funds collected from such legal wins—including Araujo’s penalty—will be donated to Child’s Play, a charity that provides games and toys to children in hospitals and domestic abuse shelters.

🛡️ Reinforcing Competitive Integrity

This case follows Epic's November 2024 commitment to intensify legal action against both players and cheat distributors. The move aims to protect competitive integrity and discourage others from undermining the system.

With massive fines, lifetime bans, and public exposure now part of Epic’s toolkit, the message is clear: cheating in Fortnite has serious consequences.