Changes to Gameplay in Fortnite: Battle Royale
On Valentine’s Day, patch v7.40 brought about significant changes to the dynamics of regular matches in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Unlike previous small updates, developer Epic Games introduced a complete twist to the default game modes.
In the new patch, Solo, Duos, and Squads modes will now follow the same rules as the special event, Pop-Up Cups. This means that several essential rules have been altered:
- After eliminating an opponent, players will gain 50 health or shield.
- Upon death, players will drop 50 Wood, Stone, and Metal.
- The material cap for each type is now 500, reduced from 999.
- Players will now harvest 40 percent more material from the environment.
Impact of these Changes on Matches
These changes will result in more frequent aggressive plays as eliminating opponents will provide multiple benefits.
With these alterations in place, players can anticipate spending significantly less time on harvesting in default Fortnite: Battle Royale matches. This reduction is due to the halved material cap, faster harvesting, and the assurance of obtaining materials from eliminations.
Players who prefer aggressive playstyles will be rewarded with these changes. They can quickly gather weapons and materials while rushing down enemies to acquire more shield and materials, rather than spending time accumulating wood and brick to build towards opponents.
Furthermore, eliminations now offer even greater rewards. Therefore, players should expect more eliminations in Duos and Squads matches. If a player is down, their opponent is likely to eliminate them before seeking out their ally to gain materials and health recovery.
Reasons behind Epic’s Changes
Epic Games has labeled these alterations as a test for now. In the v7.40 patch notes, the company stated that the settings in Pop-Up Cups “result in more engaging fights and allowing players to gain more consistent rewards for the risk of engagement.”
Moreover, Epic seems to be receptive to feedback regarding these changes and may even reverse them if the majority of the community expresses discontent. This has been witnessed in the past when players extensively complained about the Infinity Blade, resulting in its complete removal from Fortnite by Epic.
If players respond positively to this new system, it is possible that these revamped Fortnite rules will continue into season eight.