fortnite-2fblog-2ffortnite-summer-skirmish-2fbr05-news-header-16-9-summerskirmish-1920x1080-613d1ea11c543c14eb08f9cc6b3945feb134ecc6-0.jpg
Fortnite

One month after they received a two-week ban for cheating during "Fortnite" World Cup qualifiers, two gaming professionals have officially qualified for the event, guaranteeing themselves at least $50,000 in prize money.

Xxif and Ronaldo, two of the top recent performers in the popular multiplayer game, took the No. 1 spot in Week 8 of "Fortnite" qualifier matches, therefore ensuring placement in Epic Games' first World Cup -- a tournament with a reported $30 million prize pool, according to Polygon.

Damon "Xxif" Cook and Ronald "Ronaldo" Mach were both found to be illegally obtaining points earlier in qualifiers, with colluding friends "feeding (them) kills" by intentionally making themselves easy targets for the professionals in the game. Epic Games, the company behind "Fortnite," responded by issuing a competitive ruling in early May that banned both players for 14 days and stripped them of any World Cup qualification they may have earned.

The 14-day ban, which came alongside an apparent reprimanding of 698 other discovered cheaters, was evidently not long enough to keep either Xxif or Ronaldo from returning in time to secure a spot in the World Cup anyway. But as Polygon noted, a number of notable "Fortnite" fans and players are not thrilled the controversial duo has regained its eligibility, with World Cup commentator DrLupo among those expressing disappointment in Xxif and Ronaldo still being able to qualify.

"Xxif and I felt it was unfair the first time we were banned," Ronaldo told Polygon in response. "We served the sentence and came back to qualify. Everyone still wants to see us fall which is fine, because in NYC we're going to win the final event. Haters gonna hate."