Update 6/7: Fortnite has acknowledged the issue in a recent tweet and promised fans that steps are being made to rectify the situation.
"We’re aware of an issue where some Vehicle bodies, like the Whiplash, have larger exposed sightlines to the driver while in the passenger position. We are adjusting the driver position backwards in some Vehicles to prevent any potential gameplay advantage over our next game updates."
Original story follows.
Fortnite developer Epic Games has acknowledged an issue with the game's selection of cars, confirming its plans to introduce balance changes in the game's next update. The issue stems from Fortnite's new selection of vehicles, which places players who choose not to spend real money at a disadvantage.
Fortnite fans officially entered its Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked update earlier this year, which saw the live-service game shift focus onto vehicles. While frantic third-person shooter action still remains, vehicle traversal and combat is a major component of Fortnite this time around, with players being offered a wide range of wasteland-themed vehicles primed for speed and destruction. Some of these new cars are available for free in Fortnite, with other cars being locked behind paywalls. Now, players are discovering it's actually easier to get killed if they hop in a "free" car than a premium car, prompting Epic Games to issue a statement.
Following complaints about this unfair advantage, Epic Games officially acknowledged the issue, revealing the developer is working on a fix for Fortnite's selection of vehicles in the game's next update. A statement was provided to Kotaku, revealing that developers know about the problem and are working on a solution. “We’re aware of the issue and have a fix planned for an upcoming build,” says Epic. The core of the issue stems from players being more vulnerable to damage while inside free cars than in premium cars. Epic previously nerfed certain vehicles in Fortnite, reducing health and turret fire, indicating it was somewhat difficult to balance cars with Fortnite's long list of other gameplay features.
Players Call Out "Pay-to-Win" Vehicles in Fortnite
Popular Fortnite player and streamer Nickeh30 recently demonstrated this issue in a TikTok, showing how players who do not spend money on vehicles are putting themselves at a major disadvantage. In the video, Nickeeh30 enters a Whiplash car, one of the free vehicles offered in Fortnite. This vehicle has a large windscreen, allowing players to get shot at from a wider range of angles than some of the premium cars. He then enters a Samurai, a vehicle only available for players who pay real money, revealing it's harder to get shot at and killed due to the smaller windscreen.
The difference in windscreen size has created an issue some are calling "pay-to-win," something Epic has stated would never happen in Fortnite. Despite this rather noble mission, Fortnite has been criticized for being "pay-to-win" in multiple ways in the past. Epic has maintained a solid track record of putting all players, regardless of status, on equal footing, with most of the new seasonal features and gameplay tweaks being available to everyone. However, this windscreen issue has proven to be quite a troubling development in an otherwise incredibly exciting new chapter for Fortnite.
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
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- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
