Fans angry as BRUTE will remain in Fortnite Championship Series

Olivia Richman Published 10/08/2019

The Fortnite Champion Series had excited many of the game’s fans at first. But now, many competitive players are second guessing their involvement despite Epic’s announcement that there will be more than $10 million in prizing.

That’s because Epic also announced that the B.R.U.T.E. will remain in comptitive play. The two-person mech was deemed overpowered at the start of Season X, and many fans were demanding that it be removed from competitive modes. In response, Epic promised an upcoming nerf. But for now, it’s still available in competitive play despite quite the outcry.

The Fortnite community has been using Twitter to fight back against the B.R.U.T.E.’s inclusion. With extensive armor and powerful rockets, the B.R.U.T.E. has inspired the hashtag #RemoveTheMech. It’s now trending in the United States with over 16,000 tweets. Even Team SoloMid got in on the action.

Pros have been quite vocal about their disdain for the B.R.U.T.E. Popular streamer Ben “DrLupo” Lupo tweeted that he was playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds instead, to avoid “getting stepped on by mechs.” The PUBG stream was viewed by over 20,000 people, his second-most viewed stream of the week.

Fellow streamer TimTheTatman said he was considering playing Overwatch to avoid the B.R.U.T.E.

Epic doesn’t seem to agree with the community’s concerns.

“We’ve been monitoring the impact of the B.R.U.T.E. in gameplay and are investigating ways to enhance combat feedback when interacting with the vehicle,” Epic said in the Season X competitive launch update.

Epic stated that the B.R.U.T.E. will remain in all modes, including competitive and tournament play. But they will be adding a targeting laser to show the direction the mech is aiming its rockets as they’re being charged. Even if the player is behind a structure, they’ll be able to indicate when another player’s mech is pointed at them, thanks to directional audio.

“We’ll communicate any future iterations to the vehicle as we’re continuing to investigate a few more areas where we can improve combat interactions,” developers concluded.

Fortnite Championship Series details

For competitors still interesting in participating despite the B.R.U.T.E.’s continued presence, there will be over $10 million in prizes.

Starting on August 17, Trios will compete for five weekends in hopes of qualifying for the Season X Championship. Each weekend, the top teams from each region will advance to the finals. Teams will also be able to qualify for the finals with their series points, which are based on their placements each week.

The top teams will face off on September 20 when the Season X champions will come out on top.

While Trios are the main event, Epic said Solo and Trios Cash Cups will also be taking place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

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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