Fortnite devs issue deadline for Creative maps wipe

Epic Games isn’t playing nice with Fortnite Creative maps breaking the rules. The company issued a deadline of February 4 for creators to clean up misleading content – or face penalties, including monetization bans and account suspensions.

Fortnite Creative has been a goldmine. In 2024, Epic paid creators a jaw-dropping $352 million through its engagement payout program.

Seven creators earned over $10 million, 14 brought in more than $3 million, and 37 crossed the $1 million mark. Even smaller developers saw decent success, with 154 creators netting around $300,000 each.

With Creative maps making up 36.5% of Fortnite’s total playtime (5.23 billion hours in 2024), it’s clear they’re a big deal. And with 30 million daily active Fortnite players, the stakes for standing out – and staying legit – are high.

On January 23, Fortnite targeted misleading content in Creative maps.

Fortnite Creative maps can’t include the terms “AFK”, “XP” or “Coin Farm”

Fortnite Creators tweeted: “We will be removing this content from our ecosystem and creators will receive escalating penalties – impacts to monetization, island removal, and account suspension.”

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The issue is both maps and thumbnails promising massive XP rewards, coined terms like “AFK” or “Coin farm,” and misleading players with impossible progress perks. Epic cited its rules prohibiting such tricks and gave creators until February 4 to scrub their maps of these references.

Reactions have been a mix of approval and doubt. Some creators praised Epic for taking a stand, with one calling it “a good first step.” Others had questions, wondering if even well-meaning features like “AFK prevention” could face penalties.

One player replied, “Thanks for listening to the community this time. But can you also ban these tactics in maps themselves? TikTok scammers will still exploit this loophole.”

Fortnite Creative’s meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing, but the crackdown highlights the balancing act between innovation and integrity.

If Epic keeps up its vigilance, Creative maps could evolve into a cleaner, fairer playground for both creators and players alike. For now, better clean up those coin slides. Time’s ticking.