Professional gamer FaZe Jarvis banned from Fortnite for life for using aimbots

A popular Fortnite streamer says he has lost what he “truly loves the most in life” after being permanently banned for cheating.

A professional gamer has been banned from Fortnite for life after being caught cheating at the wildly popular video game.

The star gamer FaZe Jarvis, who boasts a following of two million subscribers on YouTube, was handed the lifetime ban by creators Epic Games after he posted video showing his use of “aimbots” during a recreational game.

Aimbots are an illegal tool that allows gamers to auto-focus their weapons on other players, making it much easier to score points.

Jarvis, 17, used the hack while playing a recreational game that he streamed to his followers – and the punishment has left him in tears.

The lifetime ban means he can’t play the game, attend events or create any other content related to the game.

He posted an emotional video to YouTube, breaking down as he thanked his supporters and questioned what he would do now that he can’t do what he “truly loves the most in life”.

“It’s genuinely insane how big of an impact (Fortnite) has had on my life,” he explained. “I wouldn’t be here without this game. I’m not even sure what I’d be doing right now if Fortnite wasn’t a thing.”

His ban sparked the hashtag #FreeJarvis.

He admits cheating was “a huge mistake was completely wrong on my end” but says that although he accepts the punishment, he had no idea the consequences could be so severe.

The ban hasn’t gone down well on social media, with many users pointing out that another gamer only received a two-week ban despite being caught cheating in qualifiers for the Fortnite World Cup.

The hashtag #FreeJarvis has popped up on social media, but opinion is still divided on whether the permanent ban is deserved.

If he doesn’t get back on Fortnite all is not lost for Jarvis, however – he’s pretty flash at Call of Duty too.

This article originally appeared on NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission