Fortnite Blamed for Divorce, Drug-like Addiction and Mental Health Issues

Fortnite became a number 1 pick for the players all over the world in the Battle Royale genre. In the game, 100 players on an island, who need to search for weapons, kill their opponents and build walls and shelters to hide. However, the influence of this video game on players’ personal lives may be devastating.

READ MORE: 'It’s Really Not Clear Why WHO Picked Video Games Addiction as Disorder' – Prof

According to the research carried out by the UK-based online divorce website DivorceOnline, “Fortnite: Battle Royale” had been cited in as much as 200 divorce petitions since January – about 5% of the whole number of divorce petitions the site received throughout the year. The spokesperson for DivorceOnline told Fortune that these numbers are compared to the cause of divorce from other addictions.

“Addiction to drugs, alcohol, and gambling have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdowns but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions,” he said, including “online pornography, online gaming and social media” as examples.

Fortnite was mentioned by NBA All-star player Andre Drummond in his March interview Bleacher Report. The athlete noted that the game took over him even though he isn’t really good at it. “It took my life over from there,” said Drummond, who admitted he was playing Fortnite as he conducted the interview.

Team sports players often become the audience for the game as they have plenty of spare time between the matches and travel, yet their hobby may become dangerous for their careers. In May, Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price missed a start against the New York Yankees because his hand was damaged with a carpal tunnel syndrome sustained by playing Fortnite for too long. 

Hockey players were advised to remove any mention of the game from their social networks as, according to Sportsnet 590. Some NHL executives expressed their caution about the game becoming the obsession and a distraction from the sportive events.

The "gaming disorder” was added by the World Health Organization (WHO) to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems this June, claiming that excessive gaming can have negative effects on players’ physical and psychological health, including damaged eyesight and sleep deprivation. An NSPCC report in May claimed that Fortnite and other Battle Royale titles, like PUBG, could expose children to violent behavior by inspiring them to kill people to progress in the game, the Independent reported.

“We are urging parents to be aware of Fortnite’s features. It’s vital parents have regular conversations with their children about the games they are playing, and how to stay safe online” said Laura Randall, NSPCC’s associate head of child safety online.

However, this isn't the first time video games accused of exposing children to violence. The most recent research carried out by the University of York in January 2018 showed that there is no evidence of the link between the violent video games and violent behavior. Moreover, according to WHO, only 2-3% of gamers are at risk of getting “gaming disorder,” which means that the threats from Fortnite and other Battle Royales may be overrated. However, one particular threat remains – getting a bad case of Fortnite dance moves like England and Tottenham footballer, Dele Alli.