Did the creator of the popular game Fortnite really say it's purpose was to prepare young men for war in Syria or Russia? No, that's not true at all. The false story appeared on a website that posts fake news labeled as "fauxtire" or satire and which has a reputation for hardly ever publishing anything that is actually true.
The story originated from an article published on April 20, 2018 on Huzlers and was titled "Fortnite Creator Admits The Game's Purpose Is To Prepare Young Men For War" (archived here) which opened:
UNITED STATES - Popular sandbox game Fortnite has grabbed the world by storm, literally. Being a free game, It is currently one of the most popular video game titles in the world, if not the most. But how did a game released just this year become so popular so fast? According to Fortnite creators--World War 3.
In a recent interview with Fortnite designer Darren Sugg, Fortnite was created to get America's young men ready for war, hence why it is free. "We knew that a free game would move around more quickly than a paid game, now Millions in the US are playing it. Hopefully all those hours playing Fortnite can help you boys when you're dropping in Syria or Russia" said Darren.
The summary on social media might have led some to believe that it was a real news article:
Fortnite Creator Admits The Game's Purpose Is To Prepare Young Men For War
UNITED STATES - Popular sandbox game Fortnite has grabbed the world by storm, literally. Being a free game, It is currently one of the most popular video game titles in the world, if not the most. But how did a game released just this year become so...
But the rest of the article seems to be missing parts of phrases here and there and we weren't able to find any confirmation for any of the quotes attributed to Darren Sugg, the director of the game.
Huzlers styles itself as a "fauxtire" website and carries a disclaimer at the bottom of each page:
Huzlers.com is the most infamous fauxtire & satire entertainment website in the world. If it's trending on social media you'll find it here!
According to Splinter News the site is run by Pablo Reyes and David Martinez and according to Buzzfeed Reyes is involved with several other fake news websites. They tend to shy away from political stories, opting instead to write for a more "urban" audience, with stories about rappers, criminals and celebrities.
We wrote about huzlers.com and their prank articles before, here are our most recent stories that mention the site:
- Fake News: Man Did NOT Leave Store After Announcing He Will Pay For Every Customers' Cart
- Fake News: Mexican Boy NOT Arrested & Deported For Singing Rancheras At A Local Walmart Store
- Fake News: 11 Year Old Boy NOT Arrested For Yodeling In A Walmart Store
- Fake News: NO McDonald's Employee Fired For Putting His Mixtapes In Happy Meals
- Fake News: Tide Did NOT Confirm Tide Pods To Be Discontinued After Several Deaths Due To "Tide Pod Challenge"
