Fortnite receives backlash in Indonesia after false information tarnishes the image of the game 

Fortnite has surged in popularity in recent years, owing to which, players from nearly every corner of the globe play the game.

To some extent, the game transcends language barriers, culture, and even religion. However, according to the latest information to come out of Indonesia, it would seem that trouble is brewing in paradise.

translation: Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Sandiunohighlights the polemic of the game fortnite that requires players to destroya building like the kaaba

— HowL Stuzzy (@ilystuzzy) July 5, 2021

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has stated that the game is an insult to Islam and that it must be banned in Indonesia. This comes after a piece of hoax news featuring an old video surfaced, showcasing what looks like the sacred Kaaba, alongside a hostile player who wanted to demolish it.

some kid made a hoax/fake news about breaking kabba, which isnt true, but the goverment / minister believes the news is true pic.twitter.com/XiVRvw7FU7

— Neons (@neonsfn) July 5, 2021

Although many Indonesian Fortnite players themselves have debunked the information, Minister Sandiaga Uno had this to say:

“We face the Kaaba at least five times a day, from wherever we are in the world, to perform the obligatory prayers or the sunnah prayers. And I was told that in this game there was an icon that was considered to resemble a Kaaba that must be destroyed to acquire new weapons and advance to the next level."

Based on the statement made, it would seem that Minister Sandiaga Uno has been misled regarding the facts of Fortnite and how the game works in general.

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While the statement made claims that players are needed to destroy a structure that resembles the holy Kaaba to "get new weapons and advance to the next level," any Fortnite player will state otherwise.

Idk man

— Hytzfn (@hytzfn) July 5, 2021

Fortnite Battle Royale and Fortnite Save the World feature no such in-game mechanics, past or present. Given its global player base and reputation, Epic Games has taken the utmost care to keep things well within cultural and religious norms across the board.

No fighting (Image via DIGIRAMBO RAMBO/Twitter)

However, having said that, Epic Games does give players the creative freedom to make their own custom map layouts, which can feature a variety of things. It just so happens that one of the videos used to spread the false narrative was that of a player on a custom map standing in front of the "Kaaba" with a weapon in hand

Irrespective of what it looked like, the player does not attack the structure in-game on video, and quite contrary to the statement made, the player uses a "heart emoji" in front of the structure as a sign of love.

Watch the video here:

Going back to the topic at hand, the video, which was supposedly the source of information that led to Fortnite facing backlash, is from 2019; and even in that video, no hostile action can be seen taken against the "Kaaba" by the player involved.

The entire premise of the second video revolves around the fact that players can openly build the Kaaba, which goes against Islamic religious practices. While this is understandable, it's good to note that the developers are not directly responsible for the player's actions.

Hopefully, this confusion will blow over, and both Epic Games and Minister Sandiaga Uno can conclude the debate and come to an agreement sooner rather than later. On the flip side of things, if Fortnite does get banned in Indonesia, a lot of professional players will lose out on a potential career in Esports.

Watch the video here: