English schools warn parents of “aggressive” behavior ahead of Fortnite Season 7

Schools in the United Kingdom have started issuing advisories to parents about their children’s “aggressive and violent” behaviors due to excitement over Fortnite Battle Royale.

The hype around Fortnite has been building in recent weeks in anticipation for the game’s Season 7 update releasing on December 6.

Some schools in Gloucestershire are providing informational meetings, letters on pertinent issues and guides to blocking certain content from major consoles, all to prevent bullying and other aggressive tendencies in kids before the game’s new update.

Widden Primary School Deputy Head, Debbie Innes, says that the latest warnings are part of an initiative to inform parents and provide resources in an attempt to help what they believe is the root cause of the problem.

“We have had a number children for whom their behaviour has deteriorated as a result of what seems to be playing Fortnite,” Innes said.

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Although generally rated for anyone over the age of 12 by ESRB, PEGI and more, the game holds a sizeable audience that fall well under that parameter.

Research into the matter of violence linked to video games has been a hot-button issue even before Fortnite’s debut, but some schools have detracted from semantics and have gone right into preventative measures.

“There’s a point at which you stop fighting the battle that says they shouldn’t be doing it and you start doing the ‘okay, this is the guidance we should give to you as parents,” Innes said.

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Fortnite’s popularity has exploded since the game’s initial release in July of 2017 and it’s latest update will add more incentives for fans of the game to drop onto the battlefield.