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After plaguing most of Chapter 2 - Season 4, the pay-to-win win debate is back in Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 5.
Epic Games mentioned in its guidelines that purchasable cosmetics do not offer any tactical advantage to players. While that statement might stand firm, players have discovered sneaky ways to use cosmetics to their advantage.
Ali "SypherPK" Hassan demonstrated in one of his videos how Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 5 is turning into a pay-to-win game. While some cosmetics stand out, others blend in with the environment, allowing players to camouflage.
Want to know what items might feature in the shop tomorrow? Check out our predictions for tomorrow's Fortnite Item Shop
SypherPK demonstrates why Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 5 is pay-to-win with three outfits
SypherPK mentioned that there are up to three outfits that blend right in with the festive-themed map. While some of these skins can be acquired after completing Operation Snowdown, others can be purchased from the Fortnite item shop.
The first outfit which makes Fortnite pay-to-win is the Christmas Tree Jonesy skin. This one looks like a human-sized Christmas tree with lights and decorations on it. SypherPK demonstrated the effectiveness of this outfit by hiding in one of the most competitive drop locations, Salty Towers.
The trick is to hide in front of the Christmas tree at Salty Towers. Opponents will naturally come towards it to complete the Operation Snowdown challenge, dance at holiday trees in Fortnite.
Gamers are advised to wait for the opponent to emote, as that is the best time to ambush them.
The same outfit can be used to confuse players at different locations in Fortnite. For instance, SypherPK used the same trick by pretending to be a Christmas bush.
However, players have to drop some loot near the bush to lure in opponents. The YouTuber successfully demonstrated how to draw players in with a little haul and a Christmas Jonesy outfit.
SypherPK eventually won the Victory Royale and showed how certain outfits are making Fortnite a pay-to-win game.
The next outfit he used is the Nutcracker skin, but this time, SypherPK combined it with the prickly emote. He decided to drop at Lazy Lake as there are a couple of Nutcrackers present at the POI. This allowed him to blend in thoroughly with the environment as a statue in Fortnite.
Opponents just walked past SypherPK without realizing that he was there. The Nutcracker outfit allows players to completely blend in as a mannequin and is quite useful if used appropriately.
Players have to exercise a lot of patience if they are trying to camouflage as a Nutcracker statue, though.
SypherPK lured opponents in by dropping some loot in front of him. This effectively allowed him to surprise them from nowhere as the opponents did not see the Nutcracker mannequin.
The third and final outfit SypherPK uses is the Mystique skin from Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 4. He went to Catty Corner to eliminate Snowmando. Thanks to Mystique's built-in emote, players can transform into anyone they eliminate.
SypherPK disguised himself as Snowmando (an outfit that has not been released in Fortnite). This confuses the opponents as they come up to converse with the Snowmando NPC. Players are advised to time the Mystique Shapeshifter emote right before the opponent comes close.
While this outfit only works near Catty Corner, it can also be useful in front of Snowmando outposts. Thus, these three "pay-to-win" outfits can be used by players to camouflage themselves on the Fortnite map.
Related - Where to find Planes in Fortnite Chapter 2 - Season 5?
The Battle Bus is heading into Fortnite! Check out the final Fortnite item shop today!
