Stranger contact in Fortnite voice chat and fill lobbies
Open voice chat and random matchmaking put children into live, unrecorded conversation with adult strangers, who can then add them as a friend and continue elsewhere.
- Most relevant to:
- Ages 9–12, 13–15
- Commonly reported on:
- Fortnite
- Published:
- Last reviewed:
Start here: Set voice chat to friends-only or off; turn off 'fill' so they play in private parties.
What is happening
- Open voice chat and 'fill' matchmaking place children in lobbies with adult strangers.
- An adult can talk to the child in real time, befriend them, add them as an Epic friend, and move the chat off-platform.
Why it matters
Potential impact: An adult stranger with live voice access to a child, who then friends them and moves the conversation to a private app — the opening move of grooming.
Recommended next step: Review soon. Worth reviewing or discussing this week.
What to watch for
- Playing with unknown 'friends' or using voice chat with strangers.
- New Epic friends, or talk of someone they 'met in a game'.
What parents can do
- Set voice chat to friends-only or off; turn off 'fill' so they play in private parties.
- Review the Epic friends list together.
- Reinforce the off-platform rule.
Start the conversation
“Playing with strangers is normal. Being asked to add someone, or to talk somewhere else, is not — that one you bring to me.”
Say it in your own words, before anything has gone wrong. A child who has heard this once already knows where to go the day it matters.
Sources and evidence
Evidence: Confirmed. Corroborated by two or more independent organizations — safety bodies, regulators, researchers, or established newsrooms. Last reviewed
If this is happening now
- Set voice chat to friends-only and turn off 'fill' so they play in private parties.
- Report and block the player in Epic, and review the friends list together, removing anyone not known in person.
- If the conversation moved to another app, screenshot it before deleting and report it to that platform and to the NCMEC CyberTipline.
If a child is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. To report online exploitation, use the NCMEC CyberTipline, or Take It Down to get an image removed.
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