Epic Games had planned the mechs in Fortnite. The robots were part of the story and were supposed to serve a purpose. However, the community was not at all excited about this plan.
What were the mechs supposed to do in the game? Epic Games had had a plan for the mechs from the beginning. They were supposed to be part of the story, which is usually told in the background. But it quickly became clear that they were too powerful.
At the beginning of Season X, the robots were introduced. At first, it wasn’t noticeable that they were part of the story. But in the last weeks of the season, clues appeared that the scientist needs these robots to work on his rocket and the rift beacons.
The mechs explode on landing!
What happened to the mechs? After the update 10.40, the mechs explode shortly after they land. They may still be displayed on the map at first, but as soon as they touch the ground, they explode and disappear from the map.
If you now go to the big computer in Dusty Depot, you can see a virus on the screen that was implanted in the robots. This virus triggers the explosion. The virus was probably activated by the scientist.
Community wants the mechs out of the game, Epic remains stubborn
Why doesn’t the community want the mechs? Shortly after the mechs were introduced in the game, players noticed that these robots were way too strong. Many complained and urged Epic Games to remove the mechs from the game. Even the hashtag #RemoveTheMechs trended on Twitter.
Epic tried to accommodate the community and nerfed the mechs. But players were not satisfied with that at all. Throughout the entire season, players found new bugs caused by the mech. The players didn’t want a nerf anymore; the mechs should disappear from the game!
Why didn’t Epic remove the mechs? Now it’s clear why Epic Games never completely removed the mechs from the game. The robots were part of the story. They had actually thought of a cool story for the mechs, but they did not anticipate the community’s reaction.
They tried to find a middle ground, but this did not resonate well with the players. Now the mechs are finally “out of the game” and the story could be told.
What do you think? Did you notice that the mechs were part of the story?
