The Introduction of Voice Reporting in Fortnite: A Step Towards a Safer Gaming Environment

Summary

Fortnite has introduced a new feature known as Voice Reporting to ensure a safer and more enjoyable gaming experience for all users. This feature allows players to submit audio evidence when reporting suspected game community rules violations.

The gaming world is constantly evolving, with new challenges and opportunities. To address one of these challenges – creating a safer and more enjoyable gaming environment – Fortnite, one of the most popular online games, has introduced a new feature: Voice Reporting. This feature represents a significant step forward in combating bullying, harassment, and other inappropriate behavior within the game.

“The only way to change the game’s rules is to start playing the game a little differently.”

Understanding How Voice Reporting Works

The new Voice Reporting feature captures the last five minutes of voice chat audio on a rolling basis. This means that only the immediate previous five minutes of audio are reportable. Any previous audio over five minutes old is automatically deleted as new audio is captured. The voice chat audio is securely captured on the player’s device, such as a gaming console or PC, and not on the Epic Games servers.

If a player chooses to report a conversation, the voice chat audio captured from the last five minutes will be uploaded with the report and sent to Epic moderators for review. The audio clips submitted for review are auto-deleted after fourteen days or the duration of a sanction, whichever is longer. However, if an appeal is made, retention may be extended for up to fourteen days to review the sanction decision. If Epic needs to retain an audio clip to comply with legal obligations, it will be retained for as long as legally required.

Enabling and Disabling Voice Reporting

Voice reporting is always on for voice chats that include players under 18. However, those who are 18 or over can customize their voice reporting preferences in the main Fortnite settings. They can select “Always On” or “Off When Possible” here. If “Always On” is set, voice reporting will be active in every channel the player is in. If “Off When Possible” is selected, voice reporting will be off in parties formed among friends where all players have voice reporting “Off When Possible.” It’s important to note that voice reporting will always be on in all Game Channels, which connect players on the same team but in different parties.

How to Report Inappropriate Conduct

To report inappropriate conduct happening in voice chat, players can report a conversation at a Party or Game Channel. Specific steps for submitting a voice report can be found in the help article: How to report lousy player behavior in Fortnite.

Reporter Anonymity and Notifying Sanctioned Players

When a report is made, it’s kept anonymous from other players. A player will only know they’ve been reported if enforcement action is taken in response to the report. If a player is actioned based on a message received, they will be sent an email informing them of the Community Rules violation(s) they’ve been actioned for. This email will also include a link to a site where they can review their case and, if necessary, file an appeal.

It’s important to note that Fortnite’s voice reporting feature cannot be used to report conversations on other chat services, such as Discord or a console’s chat, because Epic does not operate them. Voice reporting only works with Fortnite in-game voice chat.

With the introduction of the Voice Reporting feature, Fortnite is taking a proactive approach towards ensuring a safer gaming environment. By allowing players to report inappropriate behavior through voice chat, the game sends a strong message about its commitment to maintaining a fun, respectful, and inclusive community.