Fortnite pro Jarvis banned for using cheat software

More than four million people have watched a video in which a pro Fortnite player makes an emotional appeal to have a permanent ban lifted.

Jarvis Khattri was banned for using cheating software while playing the popular game.

Fortnite creator Epic imposed the ban even though Mr Khattri used the software on a game account separate to the one he uses to compete and stream.

Fans of Mr Khattri lobbied Epic via social media to get the ban lifted.

Fortnite is a "battle-royale" type game which allows up to 100 players to fight individually or as part of a team to be the last standing on a virtual battlefield. Players gather materials to build structures which can prove crucial in the game's close-quarters firefights.

The type of ban imposed on Mr Khattri is believed to include key identifying details about the hardware he uses to play, and the net account through which he connects. This means it will be difficult for him to set up a new account and start playing again.

In a statement, Epic said it had a "zero-tolerance policy" for anyone using cheat software.

The software Mr Khattri used is known as an aimbot, which helps players land shots on opposing characters.

"When people use aimbots or other cheat technologies to gain an unfair advantage, they ruin games for people who are playing fairly," Epic said.

In a tweet, Mr Khattri said he took "accountability" for his actions.

He added: "I just wish I had known how severe the consequences were at the time and I would have never thought about doing it."

The UK-based player expressed similar remorse in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on which he currently has about two million subscribers.

He said: "Obviously this is a huge mistake and it's completely wrong on my end."

Some of Mr Khattri's followers started using the #FreeJarvis hashtag to gain support for their call to have the ban lifted. Some pointed out that Epic had only imposed bans of two weeks on other pro players who were caught colluding during a recent tournament.

The ban prompted a spat between popular gaming streamers Ninja and DrLupo during an online chat.

Ninja, aka Tyler Blevins, who rose to fame through Fortnite, said Epic should be more lenient towards content creators who help the game thrive. DrLupo, aka Benjamin Lupo, had less sympathy, and said the ban was justified.