Epic Games has announced Fortnite and Unreal Editor for Fortnite now have new controls to allow parents to limit game time for their children, with multiple new settings designed to ensure a healthy relationship with the game.
The first setting is known as Time Limit, and this allows parents to limit the total amount of time a child can play Fortnite per day, and limit gameplay to specific windows of time. It also allows children to request more time as this time limit runs out. In-game, kids will get a warning of their time limit, and eventually a pop-up will appear to ask them if they’d like to request more time of their parents.
Should the time limit expire and no extra time is granted, kids will not be able to log into Fortnite for the rest of the day, or until a new time window for play kicks in. Per Epic Games, the Time Limit system will exist across consoles and devices, as tied to an Epic Games account, so there shouldn’t be any loopholes or easy exploits for kids.
They may get crafty with the system anyway, but there are added protections for parents who may be concerned – for one thing, they can opt into receiving reports about how long kids have been playing Fortnite.
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Time Reports will detail exactly how long kids have been playing Fortnite and using Unreal Editor for Fortnite, with daily breakdowns providing insight into usage per day, and timing.
Even if parents don’t wish to limit their child’s time on Fortnite, these reports seem like they’ll be very helpful for tracking how long their kids are spending with the game. No time spent having fun or sharing gaming experiences with friends is wasted, but it’s a good idea to monitor time spent in online spaces for a range of reasons, including health.
For parents wishing to set up these controls, you can now access them via the Parental Controls setting in any Epic Games account. Within the Parental Controls tab in Settings, you’ll be able to find the Time Limits and Time Reports tab, both of which should prove helpful in encouraging a balance between real life and virtual play.
You can learn more about these changes on the Epic Games website.
