Battle Royale
Six worst Fortnite additions of all time – B.R.U.T.E., Storm Flip, and more
Fortnite’s got many amazing features and items, but there are some additions that simply should never have graced the game.
Constant updates are a double-edged sword of video game design. On one hand, it allows developers to continuously offer new updates in order to keep their games fresh. On the other, they can make an already great experience into a worse overall product.
We wanted to take a look back through all that Fortnite Battle Royale has contained throughout its two years. While we’re still in love with the gameplay, it’s been a bumpy relationship due some of the additions listed below. Naturally, we’ve got to start with the B.R.U.T.E..
B.R.U.T.E. Mech – Season X – Patch v10.0
In all honesty, we just don’t understand what Epic Games was thinking with introducing the BRUTE with Season X. Every major game studio has dedicated playtesters working tirelessly creating logs of every possible issue in the game before big releases.
It’d be hard to miss the BRUTE’s impact on game balance and we highly doubt that nobody at Epic said anything warning of this result. They decided to release it anyway.
The mech, for those that haven’t felt its wrath yet, packs enough firepower to wipe a full squad in a single button press. These behemoths can launch 10 missiles before reloading, have shotgun turrets which deal 50-75 damage a hit, and can even harvest materials by simply stomping the object out of existence.
To make things worse, the BRUTE can ‘overshield’ itself by using 200 mats (of any type) to gain a protective barrier. Careful and concentrated fire can bring down the mech fairly quickly, but a moderately decent player will be able to avoid destruction for a lengthy stretch.
Oh, don’t forget. The mech also features a self-destruct nuclear blast which downs/eliminates anybody within range. A truly unbalanced menace to the meta.
X-4 Stormwing – Season 7 – Patch 7.00
Fortnite has always had building as a core mechanic. So, when Epic introduced the Stormwing, players were outraged at its ability to easily destroy builds without proper risk.
The X-4 Stormwing not only could ram through builds, but also gave the ability to easily gain high ground by literally flying around in a plane. You could even carry your squad on the wings. The flying tank included a turret which dealt average damage.
Battle Royale has always been about a game of survival combined with the ‘thrill of the hunt.’ The decision making between taking the shot or avoiding a fight is sacred to the genre. The Stormwing obliterated that concept has players simply flew around the map with 5,000 health monsters.
Epic did nerf the plane slightly to have it take more damage when ramming builds. The nerf didn’t prove to very impactful and, eventually, Epic decided to completely remove the Stormwing in patch 8.00.
Storm Flip – Season 9 – Patch 9.20
The Storm Flip’s a unique one for this list since it’s gameplay impact has been mixed. In casual games, the Storm Flip often gets misused by getting thrown too early preventing major damage.
However, in competitive matches, the Storm Flip’s power is so immense that Epic was forced into banning the item from two World Cup qualifiers and the FWC Finals.
Storm Flips scale in damage depending on the current storm damage. The idea of the storm’s threat is key for Fortnite, but allowing players to control such a force takes things too far.
Competitive end-games come down to very tight 40-50 player battles in close quarters. Inexplicably, Epic Games did not think about this before releasing the Storm Flip. Top tier players ended up holding onto the Flip until end-game and then getting 5-10 eliminations by pressing a single key/button.
The Storm Flip has been nerfed somewhat, but still remains in the game. Epic Games has said that they are looking into how they’ll handle its inclusion in future competitive events.
Infinity Blade – Season 7 – Patch 7.01
Everybody’s heard of the Infinity Blade, the overpowered homage to another Epic Games series.
We actually loved the idea of Epic bringing in bits and pieces from other titles when the Infinity Blade was announced. The idea of seeing our favorite franchises make a small appearance intrigued us right up until we saw the Blade in-game.
Our hopes were that Epic would add a permanent or semi-permanent monument to the series, but they instead put the legendary sword into all game modes as a weapon.
You could swing at enemies for 75 damage per blow (in quick succession) and jump for miles. In addition, the sword granted the wielder 200/200 health and shields. The combination of these factors made the Blade an extreme nuisance to play against. Builds became essential death traps as the item could simply blast through them with a swing.
Thankfully, Epic realized its horrific mistake and vaulted the weapon on December 14, 2018. The fact that it only remained in-game for three days really shows its overpowering presence.
Original Boogie Bomb – Season 2 – Patch 1.11
The Boogie Bomb has been a mainstay throughout the last two years and it can still be quite bothersome in close fights. However, the original Boogie Bomb offered significantly more than the current iteration.
In the beginning of Season 2, getting hit by a Boogie Bomb essentially meant you were going to die no matter what. Duos and Squads allowed for team based counter-play, but Solos drove people mad as getting clipped meant you were going to dance and dance and dance.
The key difference is that the original Boogie Bomb’s effect did not end when you took damage. Instead, you would have to bob and weave between builds or cover for a full 5 seconds. Storm and fall damage did not affect the duration either.
Epic Games patched the item within a few weeks and made damage break the effect. This is quite common in all video games that contain long ‘crowd-control’ effects.
The Baller – Season 8 – Patch 8.10
Lastly, we’ve got the Baller. Added in Season 8, the Baller offered lighting fast rotations with relative ease of use.
The Season 9 version of the Baller wasn’t nearly the horror that the release version was. When it was added, the vehicle had a whopping 300 health. This made it hard to take down and allowed players of all skill levels to make effective rotations throughout the map.
- Read more: Everything you need to know about Tilted Town – No building, unvaulted weapons, and more
Fortnite’s early days emphasized timing and awareness by forcing players to be careful of the Storm and other players. Other vehicles chipped away at this concept, but the Baller blew the idea up and threw into the trash. Why would you carefully choose a landing site, time your rotations, and be mindful of other teams when you can just hop into a Baller and roll?
Casual games took a hit in quality from the vehicle, but competitive games (as usual) were most impacted. The clip shown above is from the end-game of a high tier weekend tourney Final during the early days of Season 8. Describing that chaos as a ‘mess’ would be an understatement.
Are there any other Fortnite additions that you think should’ve made it into the list? We had any extended list originally, but wanted to cut it down to the most brutally unbalanced items. While the Infinity Blade reigned supreme for a long time, the B.R.U.T.E. certainly makes a strong case for the worst addition ever.
Battle Royale
Fortnite leaks confirm Beerus, Goku, and Vegeta skins for Dragon Ball Z crossover in Chapter 3
Anime fans in the Fortnite community are waiting for the Dragon Ball Z crossover, and leaks have confirmed that it will bring in Beerus.
Fortnite v21.30 update introduced a ton of new content and the files now have more Dragon Ball Z elements. From skins for Beerus, Goku, and Vegeta to a Bulma reference, here’s everything we know so far.
Fortnite players were certainly shocked when they came across leaks regarding a Dragon Ball Z crossover. Both waves of the Naruto cosmetics were a massive hit in the Item Shop and it is evident that the developers now wish to capitalize on other popular anime series.
Leaks previously revealed that four skins will arrive in the first-ever Dragon Ball Z x Fortnite crossover, and one of them is going to be Beerus.
Fortnite is working on a Beerus skin for the Dragon Ball Z crossover
As per prominent leaker HYPEX, Epic Games is working on a purple skin codenamed ‘Cat’. For anyone who’s watched Dragon Ball Z, this isn’t a tough one to crack. Beerus, the god of destruction of Universe 7, perfectly fits this description.
With this, three skins have been confirmed for the upcoming DBZ crossover:
- Goku
- Vegeta
- Beerus
The fourth skin will be a female character according to leaks, and it is safe to assume that it will be Bulma.
Following the v21.30 update, HYPEX discovered that one of the Fortnite x DBZ quests will have a beach umbrella setup. This could be a reference to many things like the Kame House, Bulma, or Beerus but it is too early to confirm it.
The Creative Stamina item that started all the rumors about the crossover will also be available on the map. It might be a part of some quests or the developers might just tease the crossover through it.
Last but not least, the Attack Pods from Dragonball will arrive as Gliders in Fortnite. The 21.30 patch added a glider texture with a striking resemblance to these pods and even its codename, StaminaVigor, suggests that it is related to DBZ.
Fortnite x Dragon Ball Z crossover to have a special event screen, quests, and rewards
It seems like the DBZ crossover will be quite similar to Naruto. Players can look forward to taking part in challenges that will grant them free DBZ-themed skins. Obviously, this will be accompanied by Goku, Vegeta, and Beerus outfits in the Item Shop.
The official website for the DBZ crossover is in the works. It should become functional by August, which is also when Epic Games will officially announce the collaboration.
As of now, this is everything we know about the upcoming DBZ x Fortnite crossover. The next update for Chapter 3 Season 3 will be out after four weeks, and until then, players can enjoy the new summer-themed content.
Battle Royale
Fortnite update v21.30 patch notes: No Sweat Summer event, Prime Shotgun, more
Fortnite v21.30 is finally here. From the No Sweat Summer event to new POIs to weapons, here’s everything that arrived with it.
Ahead of the developers’ summer break, Fortnite has released the v21.30 update. It has arrived with the No Sweat Summer event, map changes like Daily Bloomgle, new Prime Shotgun, and more.
The hype for Fortnite v21.30 was sky-scraping because Epic Games will soon go on a break till the second week of August. This means that the battle royale title won’t experience any live changes for the upcoming weeks, and the latest update should ensure that the community doesn’t get bored.
Fortnite v21.30 brings in a No Sweat Insurance NPC, summer-themed POI, and new No Sweat Summer event quests
Fortnite players desperately wanted to celebrate the summer in battle royale modes this time. Luckily, the No Sweat Summer event is here with the v21.30 update.
No Sweat Insurance quests will replace the Vibin quests for the next four weeks as the Scientist’ research regarding the Reality Tree will be halted temporarily.
No Sweat Summer quests
The latest No Sweat Summer quests in Fortnite are:
- Land after jumping from the Battle Bus during the No Sweat Summer event
- Carry the No Sweat sign and place it at a sponsorship location
- Complete a lap around the boat race circuit after the starting countdown
- Make a Character dance to a Boogie Bom
- Emote at different promotional dance floor locations
- Ring doorbells until they break
- Catch 3 seconds of air while driving a Motorboat
- Remove No Sweat signs from recalled products
- Place the No Sweat signs in an official bin
- Pop No Sweat Summer inflatable objects
- Jump on umbrellas along the beach
- Kick a beach ball and kick a giant beach ball
- Fire off the Firework Flare Gun at Mighty Monument or Tilted Towers
- Bust through doors in different neighborhoods
- Destroy large sea buoys with Motorboat Missiles
These quests will grant 15k XP each and a new Sweaty Sailer umbrella glider will be a free reward for completing them. The quests also indicate that the Boogie Bombs will return soon. The goofy item has been a fan-favorite for ages, and it makes perfect sense for it to return during a Vibin’ themed season.
New summer-themed NPCs will now roam around the island. These include:
- Unpeely
- Beach Bomber
- Summer Drift
- The Underwriter
- Boardwalk Ruby
The Underwriter is the newest NPC in Fortnite and represents the New Sweat Insurance building from Tilted Towers. In contrast, Unpeely, Beach Bomber, and Boardwalk Ruby are famous characters who always return during the summer.
Fortnite community to vote for Tilted Tower buildings through Rebuild the Block quests
The restoration of Tilted Towers began in Chapter 3 Season 3. Fortnite asked map builders to come up with their best building designs and nine buildings have made the cut.
In the coming weeks, players will donate bars for the construction projects in Tilted Towers. The building design with the most votes will officially become a part of the POI. This will also help players in completing the Rebuild The Block quests:
- Donate Bars voting for construction projects on The Block
- Survive Storm Phases during the Rebuild the Block Event
- Eliminate enemy players during the Rebuild the Block Event
- Complete Rebuild the Block quest stages (3/7/12).
It is clear that we’ll witness new Rebuild The Block quests every week and the developers are yet to reveal the subsequent stages.
To be fair, the XP crisis in Chapter 3 Season 3 could come to an end now as every Rebuild The Block quest will reward players with 14,000 XP.
New Prime Shotgun and consumable Ice-Cream item enter the loot pool with Fortnite v21.30
A brand-new Prime Shotgun will be available in chests, supply drops, and floor loot with v21.30. The stats of this weapon at Rare rarity are:
- DPS-88
- Reload Time-4.5
- Spread-1
- Clip size– 4
- Headshot damage– 138
- Fire Rate– 1.05
Leaks have revealed that the Prime Shotgun is an explosive weapon with a surprisingly long range for a shotgun. Its damage output is brilliant and the slow fire rate seems to be the only downside.
New consumable items have been added in the form of Ice Cones. These include:
- Lil Whip’s Special Serve for Health and Shield
- Guzzling Icecream Cone which slowly heals health
- Frozen Iceream Cone for Health and it makes things slippery
- Icecream Cone for Health
- Spicy Icecream Cone for Health and Shield
Interestingly, the files of the Burst SMG have been updated as well and it might return soon.
Daily Bugle changes to Daily Bloomgle in Fortnite v21.30 and other map changes
Epic Games has continued the amazing map changes in Chapter 3 Season 3 with the latest update. Daily Bugle, under the effect of the Reality Tree, is now called Daily Bloomgle. As usual, it will now switch between themes based on Neo Tilted, Coral Castle, Colossal Coliseum, and more.
The Reality Tree will continue to grow and after Daily Bugle, it’ll reach Condo Canyon.
Last but not least, a summer-themed stage will be set up on the island for No Sweat Summer. This is where players can expect to complete their event-based quests and earn a ton of XP.
Hotfix updates will be released weekly but no major Fortnite updates will arrive for almost a month now. The developers have already added weekly quests till Week 10, and the Dragon Ball Z crossover will be released after the break.
Battle Royale
Fortnite Indiana Jones quests: How to find the secret door in Shuffled Shrines
Fortnite players can finally unlock Indiana Jones with v21.20. They must find the secret door in Shuffled Shrines and here’s a guide for it.
The Indiana Jones quests are finally here in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3. Here’s how you can find the secret door past the main chamber in Shuffled Shrines.
While players were expecting Fortnite v21.20 to revolve around No Sweat Summer, it has turned out to be all about Indiana Jones. The secret skin for this season’s Battle Pass is now unlockable through challenges and a brand new POI called Shuffled Shrines has been added to the map.
The Shuffled Shrines puzzle in Fortnite allows players to enter the secret door
First and foremost, you must visit the brand new Shuffled Shrines POI on the Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 island. It is located south of Sanctuary, and has been marked in the image below:
After landing, you have to search the location for clues and find four runes on each edge of Shuffled Shrines. They will display one of these Red, Blue, and Yellow symbols:
The runes (clues) will be scattered across Shuffled Shrines and their symbol resets every game. Hence, you should not try copying the patterns that worked for others.
It is important to find the fure runes and then head to the middle of Shuffled Shrines where you will find four interactive runes in front of a door.
Solving the puzzle is basically a game of hit-and-miss. You have to rotate the runes according to the clues. To open the door, the symbols on the runes in front of the door should be identical to the ones that are scattered around Shuffled Shrines.
Apparently, the symbol of the runes on the left should match with the rune located in the southwest corner of Shuffled Shrine. Similarly, the one placed second from the left should match with the rune located on the top right corner (Northwest).
After solving the puzzle correctly, the main chamber should open. However, be careful because the path is full of traps.
Where is the secret door past the main chamber in Shuffled Shrine
It is important to note that the challenge doesn’t complete when you solve the puzzle and enter the main chamber. There’s an artifact inside that grants 250 Gold Bars, but more importantly, there’s a secret door to the right of this artifact. The entrance is hidden by green bushes.
Players can enter this area and find two chests inside which should complete the Indiana Jones challenge. This quest will not only provide XP, but will help in unlocking the character’s outfit and a selectable style.
Finding the secret door past the main chamber is clearly more complex than any of the challenges we’ve ever seen in Fortnite. The puzzles and the traps are already too harsh but before that, players must fight a ton of opponents who’ll land to complete the same quest.
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