The new Solo Showdown mode lures the best Fortnite: Battle Royale players for the first time with V-Bucks as prizes, but players under 16 are excluded. The announcement of the mode may have surprised some – it is, however, just a taste of Epic’s future plans, says our author Robert.
If you haven’t heard: You can now win prizes in Fortnite: Battle Royale if you play better than your opponents. The new mode “Solo Showdown” plays like the regular Solo mode with the small difference that you can now win prizes in Fortnite: Battle Royale.
And Epic is not being stingy here: A hefty 1.1 million V-Bucks of real money currency is being put up by Epic in total. This amount of V-Bucks corresponds to about 11,000 euros, with 50,000 V-Bucks going to the winner.
There is currently criticism about how the ranking of the winners is determined. Because only the placement at the end of a match is decisive for the score. It is expected that the mode will become a campfest.
But the basic direction is clear that Epic wants to take with this mode: eSports.
Solo Showdown as a gigantic test laboratory for eSports?
Whether Fortnite: Battle Royale is really suitable for eSports is a hot topic of debate in the forums. Critics warn that Fortnite has too much randomness for an eSport – after all, performance also depends on the equipment available.
Critics and supporters, however, agree on the key point: Fortnite: Battle Royale is also fun to watch. So why shouldn’t there be a competitive game variant? Is the Solo Showdown mode nothing more than a test laboratory for the further development of the game towards eSports?
Fortnite: Are these the plans for the future?
The further development could look like this:
- Ranked mode – After the Solo Showdown mode, Epic could introduce a competitive game mode that does not differ from the normal modes, but does come with a ranking. Various other multiplayer titles set the example. The ranking method from the Solo Showdown could serve as a blueprint or be revised in the face of ongoing criticism.
- Custom games – Private matches are already in the testing phase. Well-known streamers can already create private matches for testing in this way. To conduct competitive tournaments, custom games must be able to be created.
- A new map in Fortnite: Battle Royale – Admittedly, this is speculative. However, it’s unlikely that the current map is suitable for eSports, as it’s too large. More likely, Epic is working on a new, smaller map that also works with fewer players.
- A collaboration with the ESL – The Electronic Sports League is the logical partner for a collaboration in eSports.
Players under 16 excluded
Not convinced yet? Players under 16 are excluded from the Solo Showdown. It is known that especially children and teenagers love Fortnite: Battle Royale.
Excluding this gigantic target group from the action can only mean one thing in my view: The testing of a ranked mode, considering the age structure that is required for organizers like the ESL (typically from 18). Even though the new Solo Showdown mode is allowed for ages 16 and up – it is clear where the journey is headed.
What do you think about the topic? Is the Showdown mode just a taste?
