This is Niche Culture. In this column, we regularly cover anime, geek culture, and things related to video games. Please leave feedback and let us know if there’s something you want us to cover!
After Fortnite YouTuber Jarvis Kaye (a.k.a. FaZe Jarvis) was permanently banned from the game for using an aimbot to cheat, streamer Richard Tyler Blevins (a.k.a. Ninja) has defended him, stating that “content creators” should not be banned for such incidents.
FaZe Jarvis was permanently banned from Fortnite after he utilized an aimbot (third-party technology that adjusts a players aim to always hit, sometimes purely headshots) to cheat in the game’s Solos battle royale mode.
The ban left the seventeen year-old openly weeping in his apology video to his two million subscribers. While claiming not to have known it violated the game’s TOS, Jarvis also stated how he felt a life-time ban was too harsh.
“All I was thinking about whilst I was making those videos was just how entertaining and interesting these videos would be for you guys to watch.
It didn’t even cross my mind to think that I could be banned for life from Fortnite from those videos. I just want to be clear that this is the first time that I have ever done anything like this and of course I have never done this in a competitive game mode at all.
Epic Games you know I know how big of a mistake I’ve made and I’m truly like so sorry.
Epic, I know I have to take accountability for my actions and I’m going to do my best to accept any punishment that comes my way.
I’m not trying to find a quick road out but being banned forever is just – a lifetime ban – is just, I just didn’t this would happen.”
The Sun (a UK tabloid newsgroup) later reported on how his apology video could have earned him up to £20,000 ($25,646 est.), and how in a later video he boasted his aimbot videos could earn him more views. “Make sure you leave a like for more aimbot fun and I’ll see you on the next one.”
It is worth noting that The Sun’s coverage of the incident has taken a deriding tone and lacks any neutrality; focusing on how Jarvis had become a millionaire through playing video games, and repeatedly mentioning his sobbing apology.
His team mate of the FaZe clan Ricky Bengston (a.k.a. FaZe Banks) condemned Epic’s decision. “What Jarvis did was obviously stupid,” tweeted Banks. “It was a mistake and the point has been made very clear. Fortnite is a huge part of his life and I just don’t see the punishment (destroying a 17 year old kids life) fitting of the crime.”
On November 6th, Ninja took to Jarvis defense as well during a Mixer livestream. Editor’s Note: The link provided takes you to a third party “Daily Clips Central”, which has no affiliation with Ninja, Mixer, or Niche Gamer. The clip of Ninja starts at the 0:25 mark.
“He’s still super young,” Ninja says when discussing the incident with another person on stream, “I just think it’s a stupid kid making a stupid decision, didn’t really fully think about it. It wasn’t at a tournament, it wasn’t at a cash cup or anything like that. I think it should maybe be like a six month ban from competitive. Permanent though?” […] “He definitely deserves a punishment, but…”
Others on the stream then asks that if you would desire an “unknown” player to be banned for cheating, then why not a person with an online following, and that a content creator should not get a slap on the wrist.
Ninja then states that content creators are good for a game, shortly followed by others that “Fortnite is doing just fine.” Another person then brings up that ending Jarvis’ business and career was unpalatable, which Ninja agreed to wholeheartedly. Please note that while playing Ninja stopped and rephrased the start of sentences many times.
“Exactly! […] I mean what else is he gonna play? He’s gotta transition over from one of the most popular games- and literally a game that made him, competitively and from his skill and everything that he’s accomplished in it- and he’s gotta now literally play another game.
[…]
I’m not saying he shouldn’t get banned at all, I’m not saying he shouldn’t get any punishment. He should get punished.”
When others raised concerns about how those who watch a content creator’s cheating could inspire them to cheat, and how there should be no double standard, Ninja proposed Jarvis should only have a six month or one year ban due to his age and it being his “first offense”.
As the conversation returned to double standards, Ninja continued to defend Jarvis due to his age and that there will always be favoritism. He stated the example of Logan Paul publishing a video of a hanged person in Japan’s “suicide forest” and how he was not banned due to being a major content creator on YouTube. He felt Paul’s punishment should have been more severe, but it was a prime example of favoritism.
Later in the clip, Ninja seemingly becomes quite agitated, defending Jarvis on the point that he would lose a source of income, while others do not rely on the game in that manner.
“Let’s be serious. There’s a difference between a content creator who has millions of subscribers, hundreds of thousands of followers- who gets banned from literally what makes him money- and there’s a difference from some kid who is a piece of shit who has zero followers, has zero money from Fortnite, gaming, and hacks. You ban that kid and nothing happens to him. Nothing happens. “Oh no! He can’t cheat any more.” You ban Jarvis – it’s different. The stakes are different, it should be handled a little bit differently.”
[…]”It needs to be handled different [sic], because it’s different. A content creator cheating, whose entire life is about the game he’s playing, and then some random who has no YouTube channel, no Twitter account – he doesn’t even care, he just cheats, he has to hack – you ban one, you ruin his life. You ban the other, he makes another account and keeps cheating.”
What do you think? Should there be a different set of rules for those who generate money from playing a video game? Sound off in the comments below!
