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Earlier this week, Epic Games introduced an update to Fortnite that limited the level of speed that players could build using gathered materials. After community outcry at all levels, the change was reverted after only 24 hours.
If the update had not limited professional players' and high level streamers' ability to perform '90s.' Better known to the community as Turbo Building, 90s are a form of high-speed, mechanically-intensive build pattern, the quick reversion would have come as a surprise.
Since the start of Fortnite Season 10 nearly one month ago, balance changes around the game — specifically, the introduction of the B.R.U.T.E. mechs — have been criticized by the community at large. Criticism only increased after Epic's admittance that the B.RU.T.E. was implemented into the game to give new players potential opportunity for an easy win in an otherwise extremely unlikely, difficult journey to the last player standing in a Battle Royale.
However, the reason why Epic's most recent update stands out from the others is because it accomplished the only thing worse for the game than lowering the skill floor: lowering the skill ceiling. It's one thing to give casual players who may not want to invest the time, or have the time, to become an adept Fortnite player. However, it is entirely different to hamstring the cream of the crop in an effort to narrow the skill spectrum of the game's playerbase.
In an interview with Inven Global, Sentinels Fortnite star and 2019 World Cup Solos Champion Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf explained how the nerf to Turbo Building affected the competitive nature of the game. "90s are a building technique that can get you elevated, and with Epic nerfing the speed required to do this, it makes it much slower and harder for professional players," Bugha explained. "It could be harder later in the game to get up mountains or other things like that."
While the change being reverted is a good thing, Epic Games still has had trouble keeping its players happy in Fortnite Season 10. While the mechs have been walked back due to nerfs, competitive players continue to voice their displeasure for the inclusion of the B.R.U.T.E. in the first place.
Bugha presents a potential compromise that could keep Epic Games' current path for development of Fortnite while making sure the highest level of competition has its integrity held in check. Bugha pointed towards the 2019 Fortnite World Cup as a good example of Epic making adjustments specifically for the professional players ahead of the tournament.
"I think the changes Epic is doing are fine if they're removed from the competitive playlist.
They did that for the World Cup by removing the Storm Scout Sniper since it had only been out for a few days before the start of the tournament. Not everyone was fully adjusted to it, so I thought this was a good move by Epic. But yeah, as long as the changes are removed from the competitive playlist, they're okay."
Props to Epic for listening to its paragon of streamers, content creators, and professional players and pushing the skill ceiling at least slightly in the right direction by reverting the Turbo Building nerf in such a short period of time.
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