Popular battle royale shooter Fortnite won't be available for high school esports teams in Kentucky after a ban from the state's school sports association. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) announced that the game would not be offered to school esports programs in the state Sunday, with commissioner Julian Tackett saying that there was "no place for shooter games in our schools."
The move came after KHSAA partner organization PlayVS, which offers games to high school esports programs across the United States, announced that Fortnite would be available for competitive play. Other games offered by PlayVS include Rocket League and Smite.
Tackett pointed out that a 2018 high school shooting in Marshall County, KY occurred exactly two years prior to the announcement, and that any changes would have to be reviewed by the KHSAA and its partners, including the state's department of education.The KHSAA previously took concern with allowing Kentucky schools to play League of Legends, one of the biggest MOBA titles in the world, in esports competitions. The board eventually decided to allow the game, but requires parents, teachers and superintendents to each give written approval before students can form competitive League teams.
With a clear connection to the ongoing debate on whether or not games cause real-life violence, reactions to the ban have been mixed from Kentucky instructors and esport team coaches. Nathan Lyttle, who coaches esports at Perry County Central High in Hazard, KY, told local news station WKYT that Fortnite was capable of teaching kids problem-solving skills, and that the cartoon violence present lacks blood and gore.
"I'll say that I've got a lot of disappointed kids," Lyttle said. "I don't think high school kids are just bloodthirsty and go home and want to play games with guns."
Damian Laymon, esports coach at Boyle County High in Danville, KY, said Fortnite toed a line of being appropriate for a high school audience. "Personally I don't have any problems with the game, but is it appropriate for schools to be saying this is okay? That's where they're at. Is it a factor that may contribute or may influence? Maybe."
Both coaches pointed out that the battle royale game could be a powerful way to get kids involved with after-school programs, especially for those whose interests aren't represented by existing extracurriculars. "They would not have been a part of a team," Lyttle said. "They would have never put a jersey on. They would have never left their room after school if it weren't for esports."
Fortnite wasn't as much of a cash cow for developer Epic Games in 2019 as the year before, but the free-to-play battle royale is still enjoying an ongoing reign as the biggest name in gaming, even with stiffer competition from other free titles like Apex Legends.
Fortnite is out now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader / WKYT