Epic Games CEO hints that Fortnite has big changes in the future

Olivia Richman Published 29/12/2019

Fortnite developers are hinting at something big coming to the game.

Earlier this week, one Twitter user asked Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney if he viewed Fortnite as a game or a platform.

“Fortnite is a game,” Sweeney responded. “But please ask again in 12 months.”

After his cryptic tweet, another Twitter user challenged Sweeney by saying that Fortnite was a social platform in the sense that “kids are treating it like a meeting spot.” But Sweeney appeared to have something bigger in mind for Fortnite than that.

“I’ll adhere to the 1990’s definition that something is a platform when the majority of content people spend time with is created by others,” Sweeney said.

This response offered more insight into what Sweeney is picturing for Epic’s successful battle royale in a year’s time. Of course, it’s still a mystery what exactly Sweeney meant, but it seems Epic has plans to make Fortnite more customizable and creative than it currently is.

For casual players who often enjoy Fortnite Creative, this could be big. But for competitive players, this could spell disaster.

Despite being one of the biggest games in all of esports, Fortnite has been heavily critisized when it comes to the competitive side of things.

Jack Stuttard had some pointed criticism for the game when he was accepting his reward for winning the Fortnite Collegiate Starleague finals with his duo partner Ibrahim Diaz. After winning the tournament, the pair announced they were quitting competitive Fortnite because the developers wouldn’t stop adding unbalanced items and elements to the map. That included the Baller vehicle, which Epic brought back into competitive mode despite pro players applauding when it had been taken out for being buggy.

“Honestly, we really don’t like the game that much anymore, not gonna lie. Epic is kinda messing around with the way that they’re balancing everything,” Stuttard said.

When Season X came about, many professional Fortnite players seemed to be fed up with Epic. The B.R.U.T.E. had been created by the developers to allow casual players to know how it feels to eliminate someone, and maybe even win. Seasoned players argued that this was something they should only feel after hours of grinding and practice, instead of just stomping effortlessly throughout the map and exploding people and their carefully built structures with powerful missiles.

Despite offering large amounts of cash prizes, the unbalanced game paired with ongoing bugs and connection issues at tournaments has made Fortnite’s short history as an esport quite the shaky one. And the game might become even less of a competitive option for streamers and pros when Sweeney’s vision comes to life, depending on what it is.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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