Mum of Brit Fortnite cheat FaZe Jarvis – who made £2million – says ‘broken’ teen should be forgiven
A PROUD mum of the British gaming star banned from Fortnite for cheating has defended her son today.
Barbara Khattri told how her "broken" son Jarvis Kaye, 17, had "made an error" – but should be forgiven.
Surrey lad Jarvis sobbed on YouTube this week as he revealed he had been stopped from playing by maker Epic Games.
The lad said on YouTube – where he has 2 million subscribers – he had been banned for using “aimbots", the name for software that helps with shooting.
Jarvis is a member of eSports team FaZe Clan and insisted he had only activated them for instruction videos and never in competitions.
Now his mum, 60, has told the Mail Online that the gaming community should "re-think how it treats people".
Speaking outside their family home, Mrs Khattri said: "Jarvis made an error and he admits that.
"He's broken. He loves that game. He doesn't have a devious bone in his body.
"What I really know is that for any mistake that doesn't physically harm a person, there should be the chance to make amends."
Mrs Khattri was speaking at the family's attractive detached home in leafy Surrey town Oxted, which could be worth around £1.3million.
Jarvis himself is believed to have made as much as £2million from his gaming career.
Speaking about his use of aimbots, Jarvis said: “All I was thinking about whilst I was making those videos was just how entertaining and interesting these videos would be for you guys to watch.
“It didn’t even cross my mind to think that I could be banned for life from Fortnite from those videos. I just want to be clear that this is the first time that I have ever done anything like this and of course I have never done this in a competitive game mode at all.
“Epic Games you know I know how big of a mistake I’ve made and I’m truly like so sorry.
“Epic, I know I have to take accountability for my actions and I’m going to do my best to accept any punishment that comes my way.
“I’m not trying to find a quick road out but being banned forever is just – a lifetime ban – is just, I just didn’t this would happen.”
Using aimbots are banned by Epic Games’ rules and those caught can have their accounts locked and deleted.
FaZE Clan was founded in the US in 2010 and competes in various video game tournaments.
Online game Fortnite is hugely popular and each 20 minute session sees competitors try and stay alive.
Famous fans include Spurs football ace Dele Alli who got the whole England squad interested last year in the World Cup.
In July this year 15-year-old Brit Jaden Ashman won £1million at the Fortnite World Cup.
Last night #FreeJarvis was trending on Twitter with fans defending the player.
One supporter said: “But what about other YouTubers who hack and post videos on YouTube about it , they get away with it, and now cause it’s FaZejarvis there gonna do that, man @FortniteGame you guys are clowns.”
Mrs Khattri previously spoke out about the controversy in a Facebook post.
She said the decision to ban her son from Fortnite had left him in "despair".
The doting mum wrote: "A very wise friend of mine said 'well the thing is you can never be happier than your unhappiest child' - wow, so so true!
"It's my turn at the moment to be feeling that abject pain, despair and helplessness today. My youngest son Jarvis made a genuine, naive error of judgement and is currently banned for life from something he loves.
"It's been a very long, tough week and I've woken this morning with it trending on twitter where there is both overwhelming support and criticism for him.
"As not only a parent and a boss but mostly as just a person, I know first hand how so often the lesson is so much better learned when there is the opportunity to take full responsibility and actually in what ever way fix or right the wrong!
"I pray for Jarvis that this is the case for him. I'm not looking for agreement with my point of view at all, I just thought that there's as much power in sharing when we feel scared and confused as when we're on top of the world."
We've asked Epic Games for comment and will update this story with any response.
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