With the new content patch 5.10, Epic has made several changes and innovations in Fortnite: Battle Royale. The building mode has been nerfed further, a new super weapon has been integrated, and the slurp juice has been improved. Not all changes are well received by the community. Why not?
With each update, Epic tweaks the meta: Just a few weeks ago, shotguns and pump guns dominated in double quantities, but the players’ preferred inventory has completely changed since then.
Submachine guns are the weapon of the hour. They are even effective at longer ranges. Weapons like assault rifles are considered out. Since the best defense is still an attack, many players push their opponents and dismantle them with melee weapons.
The new P90 submachine gun as a game-changer? We suspected it – the P90 is likely to be the new super weapon in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Due to its rate of fire and magazine size, it sends every opponent back to the lobby in no time. However, its weapon characteristics are also suitable for other purposes.
Changes to the building mode make the P90 even stronger
The building function has suffered: Building components now have less initial condition and can be destroyed faster. The P90 submachine gun particularly benefits from this, as it is the ideal spray weapon.
The P90 destroys several weapon classes: Due to its high DPS (damage per second), the P90 is extraordinarily strong against players. Furthermore, due to the reduced strength of building components, it is the perfect choice for destroying covers.
This circumstance affects several weapon classes:
- Light machine guns now have no place in the meta – there is simply no reason to use them
- Miniguns were supposed to be the fortifications destroyers – that place has now been taken by the P90
- Assault rifles are increasingly being pushed out with each update, the drum gun and also the P90 take their place
- Shotguns – shotguns and pump guns are no longer as effective as they were a few weeks ago
The community fears the “Paragon fate”
What is Epic’s motivation with all these changes? Fortnite: Battle Royale enjoys a large player base. Epic wants to provide all these players with a long-term frustration-free gaming experience. For this reason, heavily skill-oriented gameplay styles are being altered.
The reduction of the initial condition of building components can be seen as a clever move. Players who master the building mode perfectly can still build gigantic fortifications – only in direct combat are there effects on the building mode.
There is no question that the P90 submachine gun has shaken up the game significantly. Many players see it as a simple spray weapon that anyone can handle – regardless of personal skill.
Will Fortnite meet the Paragon fate? Of course not. The player numbers are not comparable, it is highly unlikely that the changes in patch 5.10 will drastically drop player numbers.
Of course, Epic must also be able to keep players entertained regardless of their individual skills in the future. The average player is numerically the most frequently represented – the strong players represent the community in the context of tournaments.
So far, Epic has managed to strike a balance between both player groups, which is quite an achievement with 125 million players.
Weapon balancing needs to be rethought: The P90 is currently too strong, as it renders several weapon classes useless at once. Either the P90 will be nerfed or other weapon classes will be buffed so they retain their “sweet spot,” or specific purpose.
By the way: If you were looking forward to trying the new wonder slurp juice, you’ll have to be patient. Epic has removed the new juice from the game due to issues: The slurp juice made you nearly invincible!
What do you think of the P90 submachine gun? Do you also find it too strong?
