Gen Z gets the freedom to voice chat with strangers — and they can’t handle it

A new feature in Fortnite has caused chaos for a generation that is not used to speaking anonymously or hearing opposing viewpoints.

Fortnite recently released a new game mode called Delulu, showcasing what they are touting as a new feature called “proximity voice chat.”

‘Thousands banned already this weekend.’

Describing the function as the ability to “talk with squadmates and non-squadmates” that are nearby, Fortnite and parent company Epic Games are also boasting about having banned “thousands” of users for their “voice chat behavior.”

“Remember to report voice chat behavior in-game that violates our community rules. This gives us evidence to quickly take action against rule breakers,” the company wrote on X. “Thousands banned already this weekend,” it added.

Although such a feature has been around for at least 20 years, Fortnite’s approximate million users per day are now at the intersection of freedom and surveillance culture.

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With around a quarter of its user base in the Gen Z age bracket, many gamers are seemingly being exposed to the idea of having to hear the unfiltered thoughts of strangers for the first time.

IGN compiled a series of user experiences, which featured some saying the game has “been terrible” due to the proximity chat feature.

“I’ve been playing solo and there hasn’t been one game where I haven’t been told horrendous things I don’t wish to repeat. I just want to have fun and enjoy the game,” wrote Forever_Winter13.

“For the most part, it’s been completely fine,” wrote Glitter_Fox_. “But there was one group of guys who kept appearing in the same lobbies as me that would purposely hunt down any female voice they heard. They literally would yell ‘equality’ as they shoot you.”

“Every French kid and his mother asks you to call him daddy or they will kill you,” another user called PlayfulBus8433 explained.

One gamer said they had heard “racist slurs thrown around casually,” while another said users were “spamming the N-word.”

These complaints, when made to the publisher, effectively allow Fortnite to spy on its users.

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As Fortnite admits, “When voice reporting is on, the last five minutes of voice chat audio are captured on a rolling basis.”

“Voice chat audio is securely captured on your device — for example your gaming console or PC — not the Epic Games servers,” they add.

While complaining about another user’s conduct is not a new phenomenon, the gleeful expression from Epic Games about banning players and having access to use audio certainly is, and these features were only introduced by the company in 2023.

Users could mute their peers or simply not use the game mode that employs the new feature, but instead, when empowered with this choice, it seems a large chunk of users are willing to exchange privacy for temporary comfort.

If there are as many “sweats and bigots” as users report there to be, it is certain these complaints will keep rolling in. Then, the offended parties will have to choose: put down the controller or hear things they don’t like.

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