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New Fortnite Parental Controls Help Parents Keep Kids’ Gaming Time in Check
October 1, 2024The popular battle royale game Fortnite just introduced a game-changing feature that gives parents more control over their children’s playtime. Epic Games has rolled out Time Limit Controls, allowing parents to set specific time limits and playtime windows directly in the game or via the Epic Account Portal.
This new feature comes as a response to growing concerns about screen time and the impact of prolonged gaming sessions on younger players. With these controls, parents can now decide when and for how long their kids can play Fortnite, making it easier to enforce a healthy balance between gaming and other activities.
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Fortnite Parental Controls: Setting Up Time Limit Controls
The Time Limit Controls are accessible through two main platforms:
- In-Game: Parents can go to Fortnite’s Parental Controls section to set daily or weekly playtime limits.
- Epic Account Portal: Alternatively, parents can manage these settings online, allowing them to make changes on the go without accessing the game itself.
This new feature gives parents the ability to set precise restrictions on how many hours their child can play each day, along with specific time slots when the game can be accessed. The controls also include a Time Reports feature, which tracks how much time has been spent playing each day and compiles weekly totals for easy monitoring.
“Can I Play a Little Longer, Please?”
For kids, Fortnite now includes in-game notifications that inform them of their remaining playtime. These notifications start showing up when there are only 30 minutes left, giving them a heads-up before the game session ends. But here’s the twist: a “request more time” button allows children to send a direct request to their parents for additional playtime. Parents can then approve or deny these requests through their email or the account portal.
Why Now?
This move isn’t entirely surprising, given Epic Games’ past run-ins with legal issues related to parental controls and in-game purchases. Several lawsuits have targeted the company for not having adequate measures in place to prevent unintended purchases or overuse by younger players. With these new Time Limit Controls, Epic is making an effort to address these criticisms and offer more robust parental management options.
These controls join a growing list of parental features that Fortnite offers, such as restrictions on voice and text chat, friend requests, payment authorizations, and access to age-appropriate content. This makes Fortnite one of the most parent-friendly online games currently available, providing more peace of mind for parents concerned about their child’s gaming habits.
A New Era of Parental Control in Gaming?
The addition of Time Limit Controls reflects a broader trend in the gaming industry toward promoting healthier gaming habits, especially among younger players. With more attention to the impact of prolonged screen time and the increasing availability of addictive gaming mechanics, features like these help parents regulate their children’s gaming activities without completely shutting down their access.
For parents, this means no more endless battles about when gaming time is over. Instead, the rules are already set, and the game itself helps enforce them. This shift could set a new standard for how developers approach parental controls and player well-being in general.
What’s Next for Fortnite?
While the new parental controls are a big win for many families, Fortnite has also been busy on other fronts. Just recently, Epic Games initiated a new lawsuit against Google and Samsung in an effort to solidify its position on mobile platforms. Additionally, the game continues to expand its roster of in-game crossovers, with upcoming collaborations featuring popular characters like Shaq, Saw, and Leatherface.
While games are fun, it’s highly important to note that there’s more to life than sitting countless hours playing video games – there’s a purpose and more to life; seek out that purpose more often!
