The zombies are back and spawning rapidly across the Fortnite map. Previously an unfavorable change, zombies have been re-introduced to the game. The last wave of zombies in October came with a lot of downside and players were very unhappy. The constant waves of zombies, frequent spawns and overwhelming end game tainted their name. Now zombies are new and improved and are much more balanced.
Ice King in the sky during event // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
The zombie invasion is all part of the Ice King live event that happened Jan. 19. After this event, the ice storm playlists went live and zombies ruled the map. With the entire map covered in snow, fans are speculating that this is the Ice King’s way of reclaiming his throne. With no solid confirmation from Epic, the fan theories are going to get more and more in-depth as the season goes on. As far as the zombies go, Epic has not said how long they will stay in the game for. With the current state the game is in, zombies are a much-needed change since they provide lots of resources for players. Zombies also help to reduce RNG since they spawn around the map and drop loot as players kill them.
Two zombie spawners next to Fatal Fields // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
One of the biggest improvements made to the zombies is their spawn rate. When zombies made their debut, they were everywhere, especially late game. Zombies would break builds and come in swarms. This time around, Epic has decreased the rate zombies are spawning in creating a lesser presence.
This is great late game because there are still zombies for heals, but it isn’t overwhelming. Zombies still break builds down significantly if they aren’t controlled; since the spawn rate is lower it takes a lot to get to this point. The spawners themselves also seem to appear less. As spawners are destroyed, another one does not pop up right away like in October. They spawn mildly around the map and have a great spread for everyone.
Onesie gaining shield after killing zombies // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
The reason zombies are so needed in the current state of Fortnite is shields. Redeploy is the death of shields as players know it, making them very hard to come by. With the new change of minis being carried in stacks of six, it makes killing someone with significant shields both difficult and rare.
With the zombie spawners, players are now able to kill zombies for an easy three-five shield per kill. These little ticks add up, so killing them is a top priority for a player who can’t find minis.
Players should take caution killing zombies since they are quite noisy. Be on the lookout for crossbows since they are silent and do not use regular ammo. Crossbows also do more damage to zombies than bullets do, so it is important for players to conserve ammo when attacking them. When the spawner is destroyed, players have another chance for a purple or gold weapon to drop. Grey weapons are dropped as well, but that slight chance can mean a lot for a player who doesn’t have the greatest loadout.
Screenshot of glider challenges in News // In game capture by Nicholas Rivera
Fortnite is also offering a glider to players who beat all of their challenges related to the ice storm event. These challenges are easy and just take time to complete. Some of the challenges include destroying different types of zombies and doing damage to spawners with explosives. Not only do they reward players with a glider, but they also force players to interact with the zombies.
When Epic first introduced zombies, nobody wanted to go near them since they spawned in packs. Now since players do not see them as much, forcing interaction lets players know that they are still there.
The hardest challenge to complete so far is the “Destroy Golden Brutes” challenge. This is so hard to complete because the golden brutes are stronger and spawn in mid to late game. These are the times that players are likely to get third partied and do not want to make too much noise. To do this challenge easily, players can use a crossbow and box themselves in. Players can then edit a window and shoot the gold brute while it tried to break into the box. Dynamite is also very effective but is loud and attracts attention.
Zombies are definitely a controversial topic, but it seems Epic found a way to tone them down a bit. This makes the playlists more bearable and evenly matched. Hit the slopes for some snowy zombie action while it is still around!
Feature Image Courtesy of @_NicholasRivera
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