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The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Top 10 top tips for parents to keep their kids safe online when playing Fortnite this half-term
WITH half-term fast approaching, parents across the country will be fretting over keeping the kids entertained. As much as we'd all love to pretend that our darling angels will be outside in the garden from dawn till dusk, we know the reality is a little different. Advertisement 15 There are over 650 million registered players on Fortnite Credit: Epic Games Despite our best intentions, it's not long before they are reaching for the gaming controller to fire up the console ( And we let them - because it's only human to want a little break from all the chaos. And with 650 million registered players on the video game Fortnite, chances are your kids are playing it too. 15 Understand parental controls to make gaming safe for kids Credit: Epic Games So it's vital for parents to understand the game and the parental controls that come with it. Advertisement Read more Gaming News Yes, you really do have the power to limit their fancy flossing and Mythic machine gun looting. 15 Each of the 190,000 gaming experiences have PEGI age ratings Credit: Epic Games Here, KNOW YOUR GAME Fortnite is a hub which offers more than 190,000 different gaming experiences, from Battle Royale - where players fight it out to be the last one standing - to Rocket Racing, a neon-crazy car racer. Advertisement All experiences have a PEGI age rating from 3+ to 12. So make sure your kid is playing an appropriate mode. Most read in Gaming Review 15 It's vital you know who your child is playing with online Credit: Epic Games CABINED ACCOUNTS If your child is under 13 - below the legal age of digital consent in the UK - they will be placed in a Cabined Account. This is designed to create a safe and inclusive space for younger players. Gamers in a Cabined Account will have restricted access to certain Fortnite features, like voice or text chat until a parent provides consent. This can be done via an alert to an adult's email or by entering a pin code. Advertisement 15 Set a pin code acceptance for each friend request your child gets Credit: Epic Games CUSTOMISE CONTROL Social permissions allow you to manage who your child talks to on Fortnite. Friends Only means they can only chat with pals who have had a friend request accepted. Friends & Teammates extends this to anyone in their squad (on your kid's team) and Everybody means your child can talk to anyone on the game. Or you can disable voice and text chat entirely. You can also adjust any mature language filters too. 15 Time limits are a great way to manage screen time Credit: Epic Games Advertisement TIME LIMITS This is a brilliant way to ensure the kids aren't spending all day on Fortnite. Set a window of gaming which kicks them off after a certain period - and allows you to kick them out into the garden. It repeats daily so you only have to do it once. There's also a summary of the total time spent on the game each week in the Time Reports tab of Parental Controls. This can be a reality check and decent nudge to introduce time limits. It's a great way to manage screen time. 15 Control in-game V-Bucks spending Credit: Epic Games WHO'S WHO One of the biggest worries for parents is knowing who their child is communicating with online. This fear is easily conquered by setting up a parental pin. This has to be inputted to accept every friend request received. Advertisement This way you can check with your kid to make sure that SillyGoat2018 is actually annoying little Johnny next door - and not a complete stranger. 15 Fortnite is fun for the whole family so get involved Credit: Epic Games SPEND WISELY Purchasing permissions within Fortnite are a useful way of budgeting those highly-prized V-Bucks, an in-game virtual currency that can buy extras like skins (outfits), emotes (special dances) and gaming bundles - I mean, who doesn't want to play as the Giant Chicken. Parents can set purchasing permissions to approve any real-money buys using Epic Games payment. Advertisement 15 Keep an eye out for phishers and scammers offering in-game treats Credit: Epic Games FRIENDS AND ENEMIES Make sure your child is aware of over-friendly offers while playing Fortnite. In fact, this is a big red flag for any online game - 15 You can disable voice and text chat entirely Credit: Epic Games If another player is offering gifts of V-bucks or other items, make sure your child knows who it is. It's an innocent and easy mistake for them to make - befriending someone who has showered them with gifts, only to find out it's a phisher or scammer. Advertisement Cut out the risk with pin-request befriending - drop those unwanted nasties like a Legendary Sniper Rifle headshot. 15 Jam along with Fortnite Festival mode Credit: Epic Games GET INVOLVED Fortnite isn't just for little kids, it's for big ones as well. There are plenty of split-screen modes which you can play along with your child like LEGO Fortnite Odyssey or jam along Guitar Hero-style on the Fortnite Festival music stage. 15 Split-screen games are great for family gaming Credit: Epic Games Advertisement It helps to dispel the myth that Fortnite is 'The Devil' and really bad for children. It helps to calm any fears you might have had of what content they are being exposed to (see, Peely the giant yellow banana isn't that bad after all!). 15 Turn off interactive AI features if you don't want your child to interact with NPCs Credit: Epic Games TOP OF THE BOTS You can choose whether your child can interact with AI features in the game. This includes talking to non-playable characters (NPCs), like Darth Vader in the latest Battle Royale season. Gamers can have an interactive chat where the NPC responds. You can switch this off in the Parental Controls section - just find the 'Allow voice and written communication with AI Features' setting and turn it off. Advertisement 15 Parental controls are simple to set up Credit: Epic Games GET SET UP You don't need to be a gaming god or YouTuber to set up these parental controls. Head to 15
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Three hit games owned by 21 million fans going offline forever in weeks as players warned to ‘complete' before deadline
THREE major video games are due to go offline for good in a matter of weeks – and two will become totally unplayable. The third will lose all access to online services and support, but you'll still be able to access it via an offline mode. Advertisement 5 Millions of console owners will be affected – including Xbox players Credit: Microsoft Xbox 5 PlayStation owners will also be hit by the game closures Credit: Sony PlayStation Millions of players across consoles and PCs will be affected by the shutdowns, all of which are taking place in June. And it'll affect sports games, shooters, and a hit horror title too. GAME SERVER CLOSURE #1 – XDefiant Shutting Down: June 3, 2025 Ubisoft shooter XDefiant is due to shut down in a matter of weeks. Advertisement Read more on vanishing games The game is currently available on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and Windows – but not for long. Despite launching just one year ago (May 21, 2024) – and reaching a high of 11 million players – the game is about to be killed off for good. "Thank you for your incredible dedication and support of XDefiant, Ubisoft said. "We regret to inform you that we are initiating the sunset process starting today, December 3rd, 2024. Advertisement Most read in Gaming Review "As a result, new downloads, player registrations and purchases will no longer be available. Season 3 will still launch, so stay tuned for more updates to come. "The servers will remain active, and the game will be fully playable until June 3rd, 2025." Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition Ubisoft said that players who purchased the Ultimate Founders Pack will get a full refund automatically. And if you've made any VC or DLC purchases since November 3, 2024, you'll also be fully refunded. Advertisement This will take about eight weeks to process. Ubisoft admitted that the news would be a "disappointment", adding: "We deeply appreciate the time and passion you have invested in our community." 5 Doomed shooter XDefiant is due to go offline for good Credit: Ubisoft The game is due to go offline on June 3, 2025. Advertisement There's no offline mode, which means there won't be any way to play the game following the shutdown. GAME SERVER CLOSURE #2 – Resident Evil Re:Verse Shutting Down: June 29, 2025 Resident Evil Re:Verse is also shutting down, with just over a month until closure. The multiplayer game was released in October 2021, bundled in with Resident Evil Village (which sold 10.5 million copies). Advertisement But it's due to be killed off for good on June 29. "This is to inform you that service will be ending for Resident Evil Re:Verse, which comes packaged with a purchase of Resident Evil Village for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Steam," Capcom explained. "The application and all of its related DLC will no longer be available for download or purchase." 5 Resident Evil Re:Verse will soon be totally unplayable Credit: Capcom Advertisement Capcom continued: "Resident Evil Re:Verse was developed in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Resident Evil series, and your overwhelming support for the game has far exceeded our expectations since the time of its release. "Now that we've reached a new turning point for the series, we feel that Resident Evil Re:Verse has served its original, celebratory purpose admirably. "We are incredibly grateful for your warm support for Resident Evil Re:Verse, and we deeply apologise for bringing you this disappointing news." The game is already no longer available for download, and its DLC has been scrapped (as of March 3). Advertisement Then as of June 29, gamers will no longer be able to play the title. GAME SERVER CLOSURE #3 – Madden NFL 21 Shutting Down: June 30, 2025 American football fans will lose online support for Madden NFL 21 at the end of June too. The 2020 title reportedly sold well, according to game-maker EA, although we don't have exact figures. Advertisement 5 Madden NFL 21 is losing all online support in a matter of weeks Credit: EA Sports But in any case, the now-aged title is due to have its servers shut down for good. "Thank you for your loyalty and passion for Madden NFL over the years," EA Sports said. "As of June 30, 2025, online services, support, and in-game purchasing for Madden NFL 21 will be retired." Advertisement Madden Points are already no longer available for purchase in the game (as of April 1). OTHER GAME CLOSURES COMING UP Here's what to watch out for... MultiVersus - May 30 xDefiant - June 3 The First Descendant - June 19 Black Desert - June 26 Resident Evil ReVerse - June 29 Madden NFL 21 - June 30 Arizona Sunshine - July 1 Skyworld - July 1 Danmachi Battle Chronicle - September 29 WWE 2K24 - September 30 Madden NFL 22 - October 20 PGA Tour 2K21 - October 30 NBA 2K24 - December 31 But it's still possible to use any existing balances until June 30. Then on June 30, any of your unused Madden Points will expire. The only upside is that you can still play the game offline after June 30 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. Advertisement But all online services, support, and in-game purchasing will shut down.
