"Cheating in video games should be illegal," tweeted Pro Gamer and Streamer, Tfue, sparking debate in this trending Twitter thread.
Tfue, the online alias of American streamer Turner Tenney, is best known as one of the standout talents from the height of the Fortnite craze. He was one of several streamers who came into prominence for their sheer talent at the game. These skills would help Tfue eclipse established streamers and early adopters, such as Ninja, in viewership.
You're probably sitting there thinking "The guy plays Fortnite why should I care?" and you might be right, but it's not just Fortnite we're talking about here, and before you downvote this post into oblivion…. Here's why you should care. Cheating is and remains the biggest thorn in the sides of gaming legitimacy and, more importantly, they kill the fun. True, cheats have been around forever… Way back in 2007 there were prominent members of the Star Wars Battlefront II community who were suspiciously good at the game and aimbots and wallhacking have been a thing since shooters first made their way online.
But as with anything… as gaming works it's way into the forefront, people stand to make more and more serious money for being good at a game. Then once you have those skills and that reputation and audience, you now have the pressure to keep them. The viewership of a streaming personality can be brutally fickle, and you're only going to be on top if you remain on top. All of this can create some serious pressure and people, naturally, turn to whatever means necessary to maintain their lifestyle and remain on top. This same effect results in hordes of young gamers turning to the same cheats to try to "make it" like their idols.
There's a lot more to cover here, and maybe I'll tackle it in an expanded piece sometime soon. For now, browse this thread and let me know what you think in the comments. Should there be stricter real-world punishments for cheaters in games? Should cheating actually be illegal?
Alright, let the Fortnite downvotes commence.
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