Epic Games has nerfed the controversial mechs of Fortnite, following player complaints after the powerful vehicles were added to the battle royale shooter in its latest season.
The mechs, named the B.R.U.T.E., are occupied by a driver who controls movements and a passenger who wields a missile launcher and shotgun. Players can also go solo in piloting the mech, swapping between the two positions.
The driver may make the mech step on structures, which will instantly harvest the materials of the destroyed things. A dash maneuver and a “super jump” are also available for added mobility. Meanwhile, the passenger shoots 10 missiles at once with the missile launcher and also has access to an overshield that can temporarily protect against attacks.
If that sounds too powerful, you are not the only one thinking that. Fortnite players, including top streamers, have called for Epic Games to remove the B.R.U.T.E. from the game’s competitive mode because the vehicles give too much of an advantage to the players who acquire them.
In an update, Epic Games said that in version 10.10, a targeting laser will be added to show the direction where the mech is targeting its missiles. The laser will have directional audio to tell players where the missiles are being pointed. In addition, the developer fixed some bugs that exploited the vehicle’s boost mechanic.
“The B.R.U.T.E. remains within the core game modes (Solo, Duos, and Squads), select Limited Time Modes, and in competitive Arena and Tournament play,” Epic Games wrote, signifying that the developer will not remove the mechs from competitive play despite the complaints.
The planned tweaks, however, are nowhere near enough to address the balance issues of the mechs. Players continue to be angry at what appears to be a disconnect between Epic Games and the Fortnite community.
Fortunately, Epic Games did something beyond adding targeting lasers to the B.R.U.T.E.
We’ve lowered the spawn rates of the B.R.U.T.E. per Storm circle in Arena and Tournament playlists. We will continue to monitor the impact of this change in advance of next weekend’s Champion Series event.
Find full details on the new spawn rates here: https://t.co/iG5UDJJD8G
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 10, 2019
The new spawn rates for the mechs are as follows:
Beginning of Match
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21.5% chance that between 1-3 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
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Previously was 100% chance that between 2-4 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
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Storm 1
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44% chance that between 1-4 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
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Previously was 100% chance that between 2-4 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
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Storm 2
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40% chance that between 1-2 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
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Previously was 100% chance that between 1-3 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
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Storm 3
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40% chance that between 1-2 B.R.U.T.Es will spawn
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Previously was 66% chance that 2 B.R.U.T.Es would spawn
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Storm 4
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10% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E will spawn
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Previously was 50% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E would spawn
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Storm 5
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3% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E will spawn
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Previously was 10% chance that 1 B.R.U.T.E would spawn
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Competitive Fortnite players will apparently not be getting their wish for the removal of the B.R.U.T.E. vehicles from the game any time soon, but it remains to be seen whether the nerfed spawn rates of the mechs will be enough to quell the outrage.
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