Fortnite: The Competitive Meta

In the v7.40 update, Fortnite introduced changes that alter the meta completely. Tournament style gameplay across all modes gives a competitive feel to public games. It allows players to practice and play just how they would in a Pop-up cup. Custom codes and scrims are also a great introduction because now a lobby can be all scrim players instead of half and half. Fortnite is bumping up its competitive scene and this update is a great start.

Resources

Skully farming wood inside her 1×1 // In-game capture by Nicholas Rivera

In scrims and Pop-up cups, material count and type are essential to late game. Players getting towards the end of the game must have builds to turtle up, builds that aren’t wood. Generally speaking, brick and metal are favored late game since they are stronger. Brick and metal helps to keep enemies from shooting your low or high ground builds out. They are also a lot better for turtling since enemies cannot see through them as well. However, with the recent nerf of the Deagle, wood is now a more viable option.

Wood is good to use if the player is around trees or structures where they can farm to replace as they build. Wood is also really useful for rotating and protection from enemy fire. Players don’t always build while they rotate making them easy targets, but a wood wall can save a life. Since the player will most likely not use wood late game, burning it during rotations for protection is a good option. Some players say not to burn material, but conserving it will not keep the player alive to get those extra placement points.

Weapons

Now that players receive 50 health/shield per kill, meds are not as important to carry. Players are often tempted by a fourth gun or explosives to replace a med slot for late game. Meds are important but not a necessity. Players can gain heals off each other, so some shields are all a player needs in order to safely run a fourth weapon. It’s a risk for the player carrying the lesser meds but the reward is great. Items like a grenade launcher can melt down builds in a scrim lobby and bring everyone down to one level.

Skully shooting down builds with an RPG // In-game capture by Nicholas Rivera

Lots of players are now looking for heavy snipers for late game since the Deagle nerf. The heavy sniper is the only gun that can one shot a build in the current meta. Players use it as a battering ram to get into enemy builds and get rid of traps. Multiple heavy snipers on one team also allow for team shots on a targeted enemy. The sniper is another high-risk high-reward item, rewarding smart use for easy rotations and kills.

For players who want to stay under the radar, the crossbow is surprisingly strong as well. Hitting for 74 damage to the body, it is a great way to start a fight. The crossbow allows players to hit targets with no noise and weaken enemies while not bringing attention. The reload time is long but the silence is priceless in certain scenarios.

Late Game

Skully taking shots during a storm rotation // In-game capture by Nicholas Rivera

Late game rotations are also different because of the update. Players rotating to the storm now have to think about what kind of kills they can get during rotation. If players are not carrying lots of heals, the safe rotation is no longer the best option. Playing it safe is great, but if the player is shot at they cannot heal fully. This means the player has to decide where to go to get a quick kill for some health. High ground is a good option if the player has materials. It lets the player put down shots and only worry about shots from one direction instead of two. If the player takes low ground, they need to be close to zone so they don’t have to move right away. This lets enemies rotate into them and lets the player get some easy shots. The low ground warriors are also more difficult to track and usually stay under the radar while other teams fight.

We will have to wait and see how the meta forms with time, but steps are being made in the right direction for sure. Stay tuned as we get closer to the end of the season and more map events occur.

Feature Image Courtesy of @_NicholasRivera

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