Fortnite is about to begin its latest Major, the FNCS Major 2, but there’s a big problem; Fortnite teaming allegations are being thrown all over in the week before. A recent Cash Cup has highlighted a bit of a problem, to some. The evolution of the storm surge meta reached a new stage, and seemingly worse than we’ve seen before. With teams going beyond the normal towers, and using a new ramp model, to more efficiently farm storm surge damage. But some are saying this is teaming, with allegations that players are signalling and trading damage deliberately.
The new Fortnite teaming accusations have been aimed at some of the best FNCS trios this season. As we’re beginning a new season’s Grand Finals, there’s a huge prize pool and qualification to a LAN at stake. Yet things have gotten so heated that pros are building the word “teamer” on the map in a cash cup, and the best player in the world are debating the morality of the new meta. Are the Fortnite teaming allegations true or is this just the natural evolution of a wonky mechanic?
Fortnite Teaming Allegations
The current Fortnite teaming allegations are suggesting that players are directly organizing to trade damage. Standing on their surge ramps or towers and then shooting at enemies, allowing each other to back off and heal, then repeating. Essentially colluding to gain an advantage with storm surge’s damage counters. Getting to the point that half the lobby appears to be pointlessly trading damage for the mid-game.
The teaming allegations are difficult to prove. The difference between backing off before you want to heal and not lose a game, and backing off to allow a free heal, isn’t very clear. This isn’t the kind of thing that can be easily recognized by looking at replays. The way teams farm surge means it can look like teaming when it isn’t, and teaming can look like playing to an optimal meta. Essentially, the problem might not be as much about actual direct collaboration, but just the meta that most successful trios are now playing to. Thanks to the way Fortnite tournaments are set up this season.
The Surge Meta This Season
This problem is the new evolution to storm surge meta. Essentially, players have to get damage to avoid getting hit by a storm surge penalty later in the game, siphoning their HP every few seconds. For quite a while staying ahead of storm surge has been a big part of the meta. Getting as much damage in as possible, even if you’re just trading damage without a kill.
The storm surge issue gets worse in seasons with map-heals. The Wrecked season with its cacti, Jungle with its Shield bulbs. This season, a big part is the ability to buy tons of heals off the bat at the night market, and still being able to fish up near guaranteed shield fish. That’s on top of the C6 S3 meta with its messy weapons.
This means teams can much more freely trade storm damage. A change to surge towers has made things even worse. Depending on where the zone pulls, players are farming storm surge for a huge advantage.
Storm Surge Towers Evolve
Part of these Fortnite teaming allegations is a change to how players build surge towers. The old base style tower is increasingly being replaced by these ramping forward structures, better for Fortnite’s draw distance with the same defensive advantages.
They enable players to safely get damage in. The team that maybe most impressively played to this meta in Groups was Bugha. His team would land at Seaport, a huge POI. Collect up all the heals, pile those that they can’t carry in one spot. Then make three separate towers or ramps to farm surge. Safely, with a pile of heals behind them. Getting kills but establishing thousands of points ahead on Surge. It can look like Fortnite teaming from some angles when they never push for a kill, just damage.
The new storm surge towers enable players to much easier farm surge. And some are accusing players of directly teaming in Fortnite. By trading damage without the intention to kill. The evolution in the meta and the sheer number of heals around this season, this kind of trading damage is the natural outcome. It’s looking like a problem as we go into FNCS Major 2 with more at stake.
What Can be Done?
In a lengthy call discussing the Fortnite teaming accusations, pros debated proper solutions. Including issues with map, issues with the amount of heals, and little conclusion was reached. It seems the current problem is an outcome of the way the game is currently built.
Short of outlawing specific build structures (which would simply start a race to figure out another meta structure to trade) options seem to be quite widely impacting. Although, there’s always the possibility that the next meta completely changes things. If the ARs aren’t quite as powerful we could end up with a completely different balance in the future which won’t allow for this kind of trading to happen.
