Is Fortnite safe to play for children? Epic Games’ age rating explained
Plus, how to set up parental controls
FORTNITE is one of the most popular online video games of all time, with millions of youngsters around the world regular players.
Parents may want to understand more about Fortnite to ensure it is suitable for their kids — here's everything we know.
What age is Fortnite rated UK?
According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), Fortnite is rated T, which stands for Teen.
This is mainly because of violence and certain player-to-player interactions.
Communicating with other players, especially ones users don't know, can result in foul language, hence the age rating.
The Pan-European Game (PEGI) age rating of 12 aligns with ESRB's guidance.
Compared to other games, Fortnite does not show gory or bloody visuals.
The only violence involved is killing other players in order to win the game, which might raise concerns for some parents over how their children might be affected by this.
Does Fortnite have parental controls?
Fortnite offers a range of parental controls which manage what a player can see and do.
To set up those, go to account settings via the Epic Games Launcher or Epic Games Store website.
Sign into the account and get on to the GENERAL navigation tab.
Scroll down to the PARENTAL CONTROLS section, click BEGIN SETUP and enter in a 6-digit PIN and hit CONTINUE.
A hosted from This Morning asked if parents are worried about the effect the game Fortnite has on their children and 59% voted no as opposed to 41% who said yes.
The game has also experienced problems with hacking, with gamers finding fraudsters have been able to make payments using their details.
Epic said it was aware of the attacks, and a spokesperson said: “Any players who believe their account has been compromised should reach out to our player support immediately.”
Is Fortnite safe to play?
Fortnite is set in a dystopian world where 98 per cent of Earth's population suddenly disappears, living conditions become difficult, and zombie-like creatures roam the Earth — the player is among the remaining two per cent whose job it is to survive.
After the apocalypse "survivor bases" were set-up and of looking after these bases, before trying to find a way to return Earth to normal.
Those form the centrepiece of the story for the co-operative Save The World mode, but play no part in the free-to-play Battle Royale mode.
Since its release it’s been available to play on gaming platforms such as PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, as well as PC and Mac.
It's important to note that there is no foul language in the game, but it is possible kids could encounter profanity in the chat rooms.
There is also a risk that children with ADHD can become hyperfocused when playing Fortnite.