The mechs that were added to Fortnite with the launch of Season X, named B.R.U.T.E., have generated controversy ever since they arrived on the battle royale shooter — but it appears that players should accept the fact that they aren’t going away.
The B.R.U.T.E. may be occupied by two pilots, with the driver controlling the movement and the passenger behind a missile launcher and shotgun to take down enemies. The vehicle is so powerful that Fortnite players, including the game’s top streamers, have called for the removal of the mechs from competitive mode, giving birth to the #RemoveTheMech movement.
Epic Games, in Fortnite version 10.10, added a targeting laser to the B.R.U.T.E. to show where the mechs are pointing their missiles. The developer also lowered their spawn rates in the game’s Arena and Tournament modes.
In a blog post, Epic Games further defended the addition of the mechs to Fortnite, saying that the B.R.U.T.E. is in line with the game’s mission of bringing players of all skill levels together for “a fun experience.”
“For example – everyone having a shot at that first elimination or Victory Royale moment and the satisfying feeling that comes with it. Right now, we know there are players out there who have never had that opportunity,” Epic Games said in the blog post.
The developer added that Fortnite is meant to give players “spectacle and entertainment,” providing them with new ways to enjoy the game each week.
Epic Games said that with the addition of the B.R.U.T.E. in Fortnite‘s Season X, players who have struggled to get eliminations are doing better at the game, while the eliminations made by more experienced players have remained steady. The developer then shows graphs that, across all modes, the average eliminations made with the mechs are just over six at most, and the percentage of eliminations made with the mechs per game are less than 10%.
The statistics, however, fail to show the other effects of the mechs on Fortnite matches, as called out by professional player Motor.
HORRIBLE GRAPH.
Why don't you show us the % builds broken// Material wasted // Damage dealt to players when used per BRUTE? ????— FNATIC MOTOR (@FNATIC_MOTOR) August 15, 2019
The future of competitive Fortnite is now up in the air with Epic Games insisting that the B.R.U.T.E. is part of providing “a fun experience” to players.
