A Fortnite screenshot showing a player preparing to detonate some sorta remote-controlled bomb.

An esports pro has been lambasted after a video surfaced online in which an individual, who is allegedly Fortnite Champion Series Grand Final contender Sin, shows off a fully stocked weapons closet and states, in the year 2022, that the stockpile of firearms is “just in case there’s ever a zombie apocalypse or a n*gger outbreak.” Sigh, I really do hate this world we live in sometimes.

Sin, or Sin3278, isn’t new to the game’s professional circuit. According to the player statistic tracker database Fortnite Tracker, Sin has been competing in various tournaments since at least July 2019. He made his first Fortnite Champion Series (or FNCS) appearance in October 2020, which is a pretty big deal. The FNCS is Fortnite’s most high-profile esports competition. I mean, it’s even hosted by developer Epic Games. Getting on that stage is essentially Fortnite stardom. He didn’t place that high in his initial outing but continued competing in the FNCS throughout the years. He slowly climbed the ranks, and on May 22, he and his Duos teammate Acro placed second in a semi-final competition, securing them a spot in this weekend’s Grand Finals. You can watch the tournament’s conclusion on Fortnite’s official YouTube channel.

That same day, fellow Fortnite pro and FNCS North America East competitor Nexy shared a video from Sin in which Sin, standing inside what appeared to be a very white closet, supposedly flaunted his “armory” of lethal weapons. There are several shotguns, pistols, rifles, blades, and loads and loads of ammo. All of this, Sin said in the short clip, was “just in case there’s ever a zombie apocalypse or a n*gger outbreak.” As if such a thing would be a reason to be this strapped.

“Crazy how [this] Sin3278 kid is allowed to play in grands after tweeting this,” Nexy said alongside the 13-second video. It spread quickly, catching the attention of esports watchdog Jake Lucky, who also tweeted his disbelief. Lucky subsequently shared a screenshot in which Sin doubled down on the video, confirming it’s him and saying he “never threatened anyone or said [he’s] gonna do anything.” There are other receipts of Sin’s tweets floating around as well, where he further defended the video and admitted to being “racist and proud.”

Kotaku has reached out to Epic Games and Nexy for comment.

Acro, Sin’s teammate, has distanced himself from Sin’s statements. He tweeted that he does not “agree with” anything Sin has done or said. However, it also appears that Acro has hidden replies that show him previously reacting to Sin’s video in a more lighthearted manner, complete with the crying laughing emoji.

Kotaku has reached out to Acro and Sin for comment.

Sin’s statements have pissed off the competitive Fortnite scene. Some players, such as Jonathan “yung calculator” Weber, have tweeted that this video needs more attention from something like the FBI. Pro Alexander “Av” Vanderveen said the developer “had information about [Sin] for a week” without any enforcement happening yet. And some Black gamers, such as Apex Legends streamer Ninjayla and University of Maryland Director of Esports Sergio Brack expressed how this affects Black folks. Said Brack, “We don’t just make this stuff up. Black people are not valued, protected, or respected in this space and I’m reminded of that on a regular basis…” Lemme tell you, Brack ain’t wrong here.

As of yet, Epic Games has not publicly addressed the matter, so it’s unclear whether the video will impact Sin’s involvement in FNCS and how that’ll all play out. All this comes not long after Buffalo, New York was rattled by a hate-fueled massacre in which an 18-year-old white male shot up a local grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood and streamed the murders on Twitch. Government agencies like the DOJ and politicians including Attorney General Letitia James are investigating both the shooting and the streaming platform.





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