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There’s no question about it: Fortnite Battle Royale is one of the most popular games among kids today. The game has an astounding 250 million registered players, many of whom are children. And kids aren’t just playing the game – they’re among the hundreds of thousands of viewers on Twitch watching people livestream the game every day, and the millions of viewers on YouTube watching Fortnite videos.
And yet, a quick look at any Fortnite game will demonstrate that there’s a lot of shooting and killing involved, as well as the potential for some unsavoury online interactions with other players over voice and text chat. Is Fortnite an appropriate game for children to be playing? In this article, we take a look at Fortnite’s age rating and give parents a rundown of its objectionable content.
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What Is Fortnite Rated?
Fortnite has an age rating of PEGI 12 – more or less the equivalent of a PG rating in the movie world – which is given for its “frequent mild violence.” This ‘mild violence’ is explained further in a review by the Video Standards Council Rating Board: “Violence consists of you using whatever weapons you can find or make to fend off the monsters of the Storm and save the survivors. Damage is dealt by numbers and life bars and monsters disappear in a purple flash when defeated.” This description applies to both Fortnite: Save the World and Fortnite Battle Royale.
The game doesn’t have any blood and gore, which are common in more mature shooter games like Call of Duty.
How Is Fortnite Played?
Fortnite Battle Royale is a multiplayer game where 100 players are dropped onto a large map and must fight their way to be the last man standing. As they hit the ground, each player must find weapons, gather resources, build defensive structures, and engage other players in combat, all while outrunning a deadly storm that slowly closes onto the map, pushing players ever-inward.
There is certainly a fair amount of shooting and killing in the game, though as the PEGI rating and VSC description both state, it’s not explicitly violent and may even be considered somewhat cartoonish.
Can Players Communicate With Each Other In-Game?
Fortnite isn’t just about the solo battle royale mode. It also has other gameplay modes that allow players to team up in groups of two to four, and offers both text and audio chat among team members.
It’s important to note that, as with most PEGI ratings, Fortnite’s PEGI rating does not cover online interactions. That means children may be exposed to toxic behaviour, swearing, and other negative influences when communicating with random strangers.
More than just bad influences, though, this sort of open online communication with strangers puts children at risk of being targeted by online predators, who can manipulate kids into giving up personal information.
A similar phenomenon can be found in Minecraft, another multiplayer game that is wildly popular among children. Minecraft is a wonderful game that contains minimal violence and even allows children to express their creativity, but toxic interactions with online strangers can sour the whole deal.
Does Fortnite Have Any Positive Elements?
As with most action games, playing Fortnite may have real-world benefits for hand-eye coordination and sensorimotor skills. Learning these skills could be useful in some jobs that require precise manipulation of tools, or with some sports.
When players are working together to achieve a common goal, Fortnite may also teach the value of teamwork, as players must coordinate and help each other out during combat. The audio chat, when used properly as a form of coordination, can also teach communication skills.
What Else Makes Fortnite Bad For Kids?
Fortnite has some addictive elements that give players a rewarding sense of achievement which encourages longer play. For example, players earn experience, or ‘XP’, whenever they complete a match. The better their performance in a match, the more XP they earn. Earning certain amounts of XP allows them to level up, which unlocks various rewards such as cosmetic customisation options and dance emotes.
This kind of gameplay loop encourages children to keep playing and playing as they seek out greater rewards. What’s more, some of these rewards can only be earned for a limited time, further encouraging a race to keep playing. Some of these rewards may also be purchased with real money, which can encourage compulsive spending behaviour even at an early age. Make sure that your children always ask for permission before spending.
How Old Should Someone Be Before They Play Fortnite?
At the barest minimum, the PEGI rating’s recommended age should be followed, which means that a child should be at least 12 years of age before they can play Fortnite. This age limit may be scaled upwards if you feel that your child is susceptible to addictive behaviour, or can’t respect the boundaries that you set. It should never go below 12 years old.
Are There Any Tips For Parents Of Young Fortnite Players?
If your young child is an avid Fortnite player, you can try out these tips in mind to ensure that they have a positive experience in the game, and also so that you can get a better understanding of how the game works.
1. Try The Game With Your Children
Exploring Fortnite with your children can show you what the game is all about, and help you identify boundaries that should be enforced. It can also ease your fears as to what all the fuss is about, whether it’s the violence or addiction that worries you.
If you team up with your child in the game, it may also be a valuable relationship-building experience for the both of you.
2. Teach Them About Managing Their Online Presence
Long before your child should be allowed to play Fortnite, you should already have given them ‘the talk’ about the Internet – how they shouldn’t give out personal information, and how they should avoid even visiting sites that ask for such information in exchange for rewards. Part of the Internet talk may have involved warning them about talking to strangers, but it can be hard to keep enforcing this when Fortnite sometimes demands communication.
Make sure that you maintain these rules and remind them about building relationships and sharing information with random strangers from Fortnite. It goes without saying that they should never meet these people in person as well, unless you supervise their encounters and they prove that they’re children as well.
3. Learn How To Submit An Official Report
Harassment and abusive behaviour are not tolerated by Fortnite’s creators, and you can report players who use these in chat directly from within the game. Head to the game’s official Support Center to learn how to do it.
4. Set Up Voice Chat And Text Chat Restrictions
Fortnite features extensive parental controls that can help prevent your child from encountering abusive chat. Learn how to toggle these settings in the game’s website.
Fortnite Rating: Age Is More Than A Number
Your child’s maturity and personality are the most important factors to take into account when deciding how you manage the game in their life. You should work with your child to figure out how to establish and enforce limits, and play an active role in making their gaming experience the safest and most positive it can be.
If you team up with your child in the game, it may also be a valuable relationship-building experience for the both of you.
2. Teach Them About Managing Their Online Presence
Long before your child should be allowed to play Fortnite, you should already have given them ‘the talk’ about the Internet – how they shouldn’t give out personal information, and how they should avoid even visiting sites that ask for such information in exchange for rewards. Part of the Internet talk may have involved warning them about talking to strangers, but it can be hard to keep enforcing this when Fortnite sometimes demands communication.
Make sure that you maintain these rules and remind them about building relationships and sharing information with random strangers from Fortnite. It goes without saying that they should never meet these people in person as well, unless you supervise their encounters and they prove that they’re children as well.
3. Learn How To Submit An Official Report
Harassment and abusive behaviour are not tolerated by Fortnite’s creators, and you can report players who use these in chat directly from within the game. Head to the game’s official Support Center to learn how to do it.
4. Set Up Voice Chat And Text Chat Restrictions
Fortnite features extensive parental controls that can help prevent your child from encountering abusive chat. Learn how to toggle these settings in the game’s website.
Fortnite Rating: Age Is More Than A Number
Your child’s maturity and personality are the most important factors to take into account when deciding how you manage the game in their life. You should work with your child to figure out how to establish and enforce limits, and play an active role in making their gaming experience the safest and most positive it can be.
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