A teenager's lifetime ban from 'Fortnite' sheds light on a dark reality in the esports business

Jarvis Khattri, 17, was banned from "Fortnite" for life after he uploaded a video of himself using software to cheat in the game.

Jarvis, a member of the esports organization FaZe Clan, has earned thousands of dollars playing "Fortnite" and making videos about the game for his YouTube followers. Jarvis used the cheating software to demonstrate how unfair it makes the game for a YouTube video. 

Jarvis offered an apology in a YouTube video, but "Fortnite" creator Epic Games has a zero tolerance policy for cheating, as outlined in the game's terms of service and community guidelines.

Epic has ignored appeals for Jarvis to be un-banned, and the situation shows how little control professional gamers have over the games that make their careers.

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The esports industry has been celebrated for its ability to turn teenagers into international champions and millionaires through the popularity of video games. But a recent incident shows the relationship between professional gamers and video game publishers is still a delicate arrangement where publishers hold nearly all of the power.

Earlier this month, the creators of "Fortnite," the most popular game in the world, banned a teenager for life after he used software to cheat. Epic Games, the developer of the game, bans hundreds of players for cheating each week — but this was no ordinary teenager.

Meet Jarvis Khattri, a 17-year-old professional gamer who makes "Fortnite" videos for YouTube under the name FaZe Jarvis. As a member of the esports organization FaZe Clan, Jarvis has earned thousands of dollars playing "Fortnite."

The controversy stems from a recent YouTube video, where Jarvis used an automatic-aiming software to demonstrate how unfair it was. He repeatedly warned his two million YouTube subscribers that they could be banned for cheating in "Fortnite," and he started a new account to try and avoid punishment himself — which didn't work.

"Fortnite" creator Epic Games promptly banned Jarvis for life, citing a zero-tolerance policy for anybody using cheating software. Epic Games has repeatedly stated that cheating is one of the biggest problems driving players away from "Fortnite."

"When people use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly," Epic Games said in a statement to Business Insider.

Given Jarvis' growing career as a professional gamer and content creator, some people in the esports industry felt the punishment was too harsh. They cited Jarvis's young age and claimed the repeated warnings he gave other players were proof that he didn't want to promote cheating or ruin the game for others.

Others sided with Epic, saying that Jarvis's decision to unfairly undermine other players and tip the competitive balance was worthy of a ban, regardless of his intentions.

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