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Over two chapters, Fortnite has evolved as a game to the point where it doesn't feel the same anymore.
Recently, thatdenverguy uploaded a video on YouTube, where he spoke about some issues in Fortnite that have changed the game. These changes were not unforeseen, but their magnitude was unexpected in a game like Fortnite.
What started as a battle royale game with a building dynamic has now bloomed into a pedestal of popular culture. Fortnite has evolved past its early days, where players riding a rocket was pretty big.
Now, the map has locations that are iconic to the modern cinematic universe. For instance, Stark Industries is a direct replica of Tony Stark's facility from Iron Man. Coral Castle is another POI that resembles Atlantis from Aquaman.
Fortnite has been borrowing elements from popular culture for a while now, and thatdenverguy asked a pertinent question in his video, which has every Fortnite player pondering:
"Why does Fortnite feel so different now?"
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He also mentioned the names of a few iconic streamers who barely play Fortnite anymore. Names like Courage JD, Nickmercs, Myth, Tfue, Ninja were all household names for Fortnite. So what changed over the years?
thatdenverguy noted:
"So, when Fortnite came out, nobody knew how to build, right? We were just standing in open fields, shooting at each other, and because of bloom, we would miss probably half of our shots; and you might die, you might get like 40th place, but you still loved it. It felt like you still had a chance in the game because we were all just kind of trash."
As Fortnite started becoming a widespread phenomenon, numerous players kept grinding to get better. This automatically elevated the skill-ceiling required for a new player. Today, most of the time, they get into a lobby where opponents are already pros at building and editing.
He also mentioned:
"As soon as people started to get barely good at building, they were just done."
thatdenverguy also made it clear what led to this change in Fortnite. First and foremost, he mentioned skill-based matchmaking, something that has been under scrutiny for a long time now.
Somehow, the fun element of the game was traded for competitive skill-based matches. The YouTuber then asked a question that affects every Fortnite player:
"Can you even have fun anymore without being good in Fortnite?"
Skill-based matchmaking is a huge contributing factor behind players quitting Fortnite. Courage JD mentioned it in a video where he opened up about why he left Fortnite.
There is another issue which the community doesn't like, and that is the weak anti-cheat system. In recent Fortnite tournaments, cheating has been at an all-time high. Although Epic Games has taken necessary action, it has still had a harmful impact on the Fortnite community.
Numerous map changes are another determinant behind Fortnite's transformation. Epic has changed the in-game map almost every season, with new additions. While this has been popular with many players, the majority want the old Fortnite map back.
It is no surprise that all these new inclusions and changes have forced several players to quit. Moreover, fans report that the game has become too competitive, which diminished the essence of Fortnite.
Somehow, fans feel that Fortnite is losing its originality and turning more into an advertisement. Jake Lucky said the same in a video made by Esports Talk. The overarching feeling among the community is that while borrowing elements is brilliant, the game does not feel like the OG Fortnite anymore.
At the same time, according to thedenverguy, Epic just stopped communicating with the community. This has massively affected Fortnite players, and many of them have decided to quit the game and move on to other titles.
Although Fortnite is far from being a dead game, it has changed in many ways. Several content creators also believe that it has become much more pay-to-win with all the new cosmetics.
The collaborations with multiple artists, Marvel, and Rocket League have all been beneficial to Fortnite as a platform. But the same cannot be said if players focus on Fortnite as a game, as its general feel is just not the same anymore.
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Published 11 Nov 2020, 12:24 IST