Fortnite Walking Simulator Meta Isn’t Fun

Fortnite’s had a bit of a weird season. It launched a new Chapter, without the new features we’d normally see, but plenty of players came back to see the new map. A few updates in now, the current Fortnite meta has gotten quite dull. It’s turned into a Fortnite walking simulator.

The season started off okay, if a bit boring. We had the same archetype Fortnite weapons, without much new or different. this did mean a fairly stripped back loot pool, but one that played to most player’s taste in Fortnite weapons. A Pump, a first-person AR which killed very quickly, then a number of items which were also in the loot pool but nowhere near as good as those guns.

Where it’s gotten messy is the post-Winterfest update. Epic removed the main mobility. Nerfed the spawn rates of the other items into the ground. They’ve also stuck to the controversial changes to matchmaking which has annoyed a good portion of the player base. Now, they seem to be chasing a Fortnite meta where you can’t get away from firefights.

The game isn’t hosting any major tournaments this season, but a Fortnite walking simulator won’t hold players’ attention for one of the longer seasons. Running from November to March. This is where the Fortnite meta has fallen off this year.

Fortnite Meta is a Walking Simulator Now

The most recent Fortnite update was a South Park Fortnite collab, but the biggest change to gameplay was removing shockwaves. It isn’t the only season that ever removed them, but they have been a fairly permanent part of the game lately. They’re in more seasons than they’re not. Usually, there’s better mobility in the loot pool so Shockwaves aren’t a must carry. But this season they opted just to remove the mobility entirely.

The whole issue has gotten pretty detached from a simple vaulting, with many feeling like the game is exclusively catering to streamers now. But essentially, the meta difference is a major lack of mobility.

The Shocks were the best mobility in the game, a get out of jail panic button. The other mobility option in Chapter 7 has been the wingsuit. But that has a length start up animation, it also makes you a pretty big slow target. A lot of players are killed using it. Even that has had its spawn rate nerfed into the ground though. Most players won’t be carrying it, and it’s easy to kill anyone who pops one off. Meaning right now, a lot of players are floundering, in lobbies just to be easy kills.

Fortnite Walking Simulator

Without mobility, players have to walk again.

The car spawns are really low on this map too. They’re rare. The vast majority of gas stations don’t even have them. We’re back to having to move out of the storm as fast as feet can go. Since there’s sprinting and some launchpads (quite rare though), most players aren’t dying to storm. But getting out of fights is now extremely difficult. Most players when faced with a bad fight, will just have to die.

A lot of Fortnite fights are decided by positioning. Especially with the current loot pool. Weapons kill so fast that a player rotating can be killed incredibly quickly. They can box up, but this only holds for so long. A better positioning on high ground is going to mean easier kills. So the RNG factor of storm is huge right now.

Shockwaves aren’t necessarily a must have in the game, but they’re reflective of a meta which seems to be punishing other styles of play. You stay and get clipped by the player on high ground. Options aren’t part of the Fortnite meta right now.

Streamer’s Feedback and Fortnite

The recent change to the Shockwave Grenades became a bit of a focal point after players blamed NickEh30 for it.

He had been complaining about them. Essentially, someone shockwaved away, denying a streamer their clip, so they tweeted about it. Designers on Fortnite have clarified it wasn’t changed in response to NickEh30. But it’s a change that benefits the sweatier players, preventing anyone from leaving fights if they don’t have their tactics right.

What’s worse is the new Fortnite meta change is once again filled with bugs.

The Crash Pads back in the game in place of Shockwaves have a major bug which is killing players. Returning items in this patch have bugs for them which were in the game in past seasons. They got vaulted, were never fixed, and have been re-added to the game without any change.

It feels to many like a change which is for the benefit of Fortnite streamers, and not the average player. Epic does seem to be experimenting with a different Fortnite meta right now, not just pandering to players on Twitch. But a Fortnite walking simulator has proven quite divisive compared to past metas.