The makers of popular video game, Fortnite, have settled with a user experience tester who was found to have leaked trade secrets concerning the latest edition of the game.
In a final judgement, issued Thursday December 12, the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina said Ronald Sykes is permanently barred from revealing any more of Epic Games’ trade secrets, or may have to pay damages if he does.
In September Epic sued Sykes for breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets, shortly after Sykes took part in Epic’s testing programme for Fortnite Season 11, ahead of its release in October.
Before taking part, he signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), as reported by WIPR.
“Sykes attempted to ‘give the game away’ by leaking Epic’s secrets and spoiling the suspense that Epic had been working to generate and build for months in the run up to Fortnite Chapter 2,” Epic’s original complaint said.
Epic said that following the testing experience, Sykes gave away information regarding the new game on Twitter under several aliases.
Epic claimed that Sykes posted on Twitter, in reply to another Fortnite player, commenting: I played [season 11] and can tell you the new stuff”.
Additionally, Sykes also referred to himself as “FortNews Gawd” and “#1 Fortnite leaker”.
Using a different Twitter handle, Sykes also allegedly revealed that users would be able to swim in the new edition of the game.
In its original complaint, Epic said there had been much excitement among its players over what the map of the new game would look like.
It said this build-up was ruined by Sykes who, nine days before the new map was released, “confirmed” what it would be by posting an image of the map on Twitter.
In its final judgment, the court upheld Epic’s claims and said the NDA is a valid and binding agreement.
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Fortnite, Epic Games, US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Ronald Sykes, trade secrets, video games
