Over the weekend, Epic launched its new Fortnite Delulu mode with proximity voice chat, but already “thousands” have been banned for toxicity and hate speech.
The new mode sees players starting out solo, but able to join squads by chatting with nearby players. Players will need to have voice chat set to “Everybody” and won’t be able to hide their display name while playing.
In theory, Delulu is a fun twist on the no-build battle royale formula, but in practice it’s fuelled bad behaviour that’s resulted in “thousands” being banned over the weekend, according to the official Fortnite Status social media account.
Indeed, Epic seems to have expected this, with the account’s pinned post detailing how players can report in-game conversations.
The mode has resulted in some amusing and heartwarming interactions. Here’s one pacifist player strumming a guitar in an attempt to make in-game friends.
Playing guitar in Delulu last night
byu/asymmetricalsoul inFortNiteBR
Yet a thread titled “My fellow ladies: How’s Delulu” details the experiences of women in the new mode (thanks IGN).
It includes misogyny, hateful speech, and women being purposefully targeted by men. “It’s been terrible for me so far,” wrote one player. “I’ve been playing solo and there hasn’t been one game where I haven’t been told horrendous things I don’t wish to repeat. I just want to have fun and enjoy the game.”
Some posts are recommending female players don’t speak, which is unfair and defeats the purpose of the mode.
My fellow ladies: How’s Delulu
byu/Kilr_Queen75Xx inFortNiteBR
Sadly, this is often the experience when women play games online with voice chat. A report from September last year claimed two-thirds of female players report being harassed when playing online. And when Call of Duty added proximity chat to its online modes, reports of misogyny were rampant.
Fortnite Delulu will return this weekend, from 26th September until 29th September. It’s unclear if it’s set to become a permanent addition to Fortnite, but is there more Epic could be doing to protect players?
Yesterday, a Daft Punk music experience was announced for Fortnite.
