Prince Harry calls for ‘Fortnite’ ban due to addictive behavior

April 4, 2019

It turns out that Prince Harry isn’t Fortnite’s biggest fan.

Ahead of the British BAFTA award ceremony to honor 2018’s biggest video games, the Duke of Sussex spoke to a crowd at an event in a YMCA in west London about the popular battle royale title.

When speaking on Epic Games’ Fortnite, Harry had some quite damning thoughts on the title.

“That game shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household?” he reportedly asked, according to BBC.com.

“It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible,” he continued. “It’s like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down.” He wasn’t finished there, going on to liken social media to drugs and alcohol, calling it “more addictive” than those two vices.

While it’s true Fortnite does have its fair share of players across the world who have difficulty jumping off the game or letting go for a few rounds, these accusations aren’t entirely accurate.

The game is enjoyed around the world by a varied fan base, and players from young children to adults jump in-game to eliminate other players as they work toward their goal of being the last player standing. Each match rounds up 99 players as everyone scrambles to find weapons and equipment, then works to systematically pick others off.

It isn’t clear what sparks these comments from Prince Harry, though he isn’t the first to share similar sentiments, though Scottish university researcher Andrew Reid has proclaimed just the opposite about the game. He has been quoted as saying Fortnite is not “addictive,” and that term could potentially be used to stigmatize those who enjoy gaming. He even went so far as to suggest that research tended to show “positive characteristics of play.”

Obviously, gaming is meant to be enjoyed in bursts and not for hours on end where players neglect their well-being, but Prince Harry seems to think Fortnite alone is an addictive affair.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Is Prince Harry right or should he further educate himself on the positive aspects of gaming?