I’ve played Fortnite Battle Royale on and off since day one. Moreso, in the last few seasons I’ve found myself getting into it, finishing season passes and purchasing some of those all-important V-Bucks.
Beyond the Fortnite is for kids attitude and being ever-present in popular culture. It feels like Fortnite has hit a really sweet groove over the past year or so.
Decent XP progression, good rewards, and great events. It’s been a great time.
Because of all that, I think it makes Season 4 of chapter 3 even more jarring than it perhaps would be.
Fortnite Battle Royale hit the apex of great functionality and crossovers, with fun features and events. And I wonder if this is the first toll on the bells of the inevitable wind-down?
Season 4
I’ll be honest, I’ve been so disengaged with this season, that I haven’t even hit level 100 yet. In fact, I suspect I won’t finish the battle pass for the first time in a long long time.
What’s gone wrong with Fortnite Battle Royale?
I think the answer is two-fold:
- Nothing has really changed or been improved, so it’s become stagnant;
- The theme and seasonal changes are weak.
I suspect that this could easily be a blip in the journey of Fortnite Battle Royale, and we might see something excellent next. Particularly if the rumours of an entirely new chapter are true.
A new chapter after 4 seasons would be the quickest shift for Fortnite yet, so you have to wonder, if that’s true, why?
Perhaps player feedback and engagement have reflected my experience this season, too? Certainly, a glance over on Reddit shows some dissatisfaction (although they’re always mad about something!).
The chrome weapons and areas were cool, but they felt like a limited-time feature, not a full season’s twist
Whereas Zero-build, a war between two factions and even a post-war “Vibin’” theme all worked and flowed into each other. Season 4 feels like the remnants of the ideas from Epic just thrown into the pot.
Fortnite Battle Royale is still fun, but the weekly quests and story have been non-existent really, until the last couple of weeks. So now it feels like a story is being shoe-horned in to justify the end of the season.
Sure, I’m disengaged and not getting as much joy from season 4. But it is worth noting that Fortnite Battle Royale has come on in leaps and bounds.
Iteration after iteration of growth and fun. There was no way there couldn’t be a slip-up. And let’s be honest, the state of the game now is a million miles away from the first version of the game.
I’m sour on season 4, for good reason. It feels half-assed and then everything has been crammed-in towards the end. But the track record for the team of Fortnite Battle Royale is pretty stellar.
Hopefully, this is a stepping stone on the way towards a new, fresh season or chapter. A proper storyline to follow every week, a batch of new ideas and features.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a solid game, it’s created many pretenders. Not even to the genre, but the monetisation model and the brand crossovers.
Me being bored isn’t the end of the world. But if everyone feels this way about season 4, Epic need to pull something out of the bag before all the goodwill is gone. Gamers are a fickle bunch and always chasing the next trend.
Fortnite Battle Royale: Looking forward
Playing Fortnite Battle Royale with my brothers and my nephew is still a joy, and we’ll no doubt always come back to it.
I would just like the “want” to go and play solo for an hour or so a week, to come back. Make me feel engaged and interested.
Let’s see if the rumours are true, or if a generous Christmas event will shake things up a little.
This isn’t the end, far from it. But is it the beginning of seeing Fortnite Battle Royale finally burn out of innovation?
I hope not. But all good things must come to an end eventually.