Criticism erupts over Fortnite being selected as an e-sports competition for high school students
by
Fortnite, a battle royale game with building elements available for various platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Nintendo Switch, was also a popular title selected as one of the competitive titles at the 2019 National High School Esports Tournament, STAGE:0 , held in Japan. While Fortnite is popular in the United States, including high school esports tournaments, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has announced that it will ban the game from being played as an esport .
No Fortnite in KY. high school e-sports competition, KHSAA says. | Lexington Herald Leader
https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article239675978.html
Fortnite banned by Kentucky high school sports association - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2020/01/29/fortnite-kentucky-ban-high-schools/
Kentucky athletic association bans Fortnite from high school esports competition - Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/2020/1/29/21114359/fortnite-banned-kentucky-high-school-esports-playvs
PlayVS is an ESPORTS league officially recognized by the USA High School Association that allows high school students to easily organize ESPORTS teams and organize inter-school competitions. PlayVS has partnered with the National Association of State High School Athletic Associations, including the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, to host ESPORTS tournaments. PlayVS announced that it will be hosting a Fortnite ESPORTS league for high school students during the fourth week of January 2020.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association and some other states have expressed opposition to this. Julian Tackett, a commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, wrote in an email to school officials that 'shooting games have no place in our schools,' revealing that he has banned high school students from playing Fortnite as part of esports.
'We are working with the National Association of State High School Associations to ensure that we are taking steps to remove Fortnite from the PlayVS titles,' he said, pointing out that shooters like Fortnite are not appropriate e-sports titles played at the high school level.
Additionally, Tackett said, 'What's troubling is that PlayVS announced Fortnite very close to the date of
PlayVS and Epic Games, the operator of Fortnite, signed a partnership agreement on January 22, 2020, announcing the creation of a Fortnite e-sports league for college and high school students. According to Tackett, none of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, the National Association of State High Schools, or the National Association of State High Schools had been informed of the Fortnite e-sports league.
Therefore, Tackett argues that PlayVS hosting a Fortnite esports league 'violates the contract between PlayVS and the National Association of State High School Associations, and puts the future of the program itself at risk.'
In response, a PlayVS representative stated, 'PlayVS will operate a Fortnite esports league for high school students with Epic Games,' arguing that it 'operates outside of partnerships' with the NSHS and related state associations. The statement asserts that the league is not a 'high school esports program provided to students in collaboration with the NSHS,' but rather an 'esports league provided by PlayVS and Epic Games for high school students,' and does not violate the contract with the NSHS. PlayVS also stated that the Fortnite esports league 'has been misrepresented in the media, creating the misunderstanding that it is an NSHS-sanctioned title.'
However, the ANSA stated, 'We are extremely disappointed that our esports partner, PlayVS, will offer Fortnite as a gaming option for high school students. Since our partnership with PlayVS was announced, we and our member associations have consistently denied any involvement with or offering shooter games. We will work with PlayVS as soon as possible to resolve this issue.' This suggests that they are not listening to PlayVS's claims at all.
Related Posts:
