Epic recently unveiled a new tool for documenting toxic behavior in Fortnite. This tool, called voice reporting, will record voice chats in 5-minute segments for players to submit as evidence of bullying and harassment. Players under 18 will have this feature automatically turned on, while those over 18 can adjust its settings in the game’s main settings.
Players over 18 can choose to have voice reporting “Always On” or “Off When Possible,” depending on their preferences. Epic has reassured players that audio clips won’t be kept for long and will only be stored locally on their devices unless submitted as evidence. In that case, only the immediate last five minutes of audio will be reportable.
The company stated that under normal circumstances, audio clips will be automatically deleted after 14 days or once action has been taken. Any appeals made by the accused player could extend this time period, but Epic will hold onto an audio clip as long as necessary if required by law. This move aligns with efforts of other gaming companies, such as Microsoft and Sony, to address harmful online behavior.
In the earlier part of this year, Microsoft announced a similar feature, alongside reports of abuse in voice chats.
