Fortnite developers promise to fix blinding shield effects
Epic Games has confirmed that it will address the overdone special effects that take over players’ screens when they take shield damage in the next Fortnite update.
The news comes
via Reddit, where Epic developer Eric Williamson responded directly to a thread calling for a change.
“Agreed, this is a priority fix for 9.40,” Williamson said.
Currently, a blue orb blocks the player’s vision the moment they take damage while wearing a shield.
This clip
shows just how blinding it can be.
This makes it hard for the player getting shot to take aggressive countermeasures. Epic didn’t mention how this effect would be altered in 9.40.
There are already widespread complaints about the effect, especially since the mechanic contradicts the purpose of the shield. Players are essentially punished for protecting their life totals.
It gives the first shooter a clear advantage, and with a
$30 million tournament
on the horizon, Epic has made fixing this problem a top priority.
Fortnite has steadily increased the variety and overall availability of healing options over its lifespan. From campfires and chug jugs to mushrooms and shield grenades, it makes no sense not to double your life total when given the chance.
And yet, some players happily skip over shield items due to the potential negative side effects. This issue made the build meta in Fortnite more potent than it already was. It widened the skill gap even further for players who haven’t quite mastered the art of erecting massive towers in mere seconds.
Its damage to the competitive Fortnite scene would be bad enough, but this kind of issue has the potential to turn sizable portions of both the core and casual player bases away.
Thankfully, Epic is fully aware of the implications on both sides of the issue, and things like this don’t often slip through the cracks.
Epic’s feedback team was slower than usual to act in this instance, a forgivable offense considering the core development team had just come off a two-week vacation.
Alongside this change, Epic is paying close attention to the performance of new items like the airstrike grenade and will certainly ponder other balance issues ahead of the Fortnite World Cup Finals.
The $30 million tournament kicks off July 26 in New York.
M Alzamora
About M Alzamora
There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.
View full profile
Read Also
Fortnite
Leaks Suggest That a Fortnite X One Piece Collaboration May Be Coming
Hannan Mundia
Fortnite has collaborated with all sorts of franchises over the years, but a potentially leaked collaboration with One Piece may be the largest yet. When it comes to games collaborating with known IPs, it’s borderline impossible to compete with Fortnite. The battle royale game has some insane collaborations under its belt, including one with Kingdom Hearts when the Square Enix IP’s popularity is at an all-time high. However, if recent ...
Fortnite
Is Fortnite Growing or Dying in 2026?
Zachary Roberts
Fortnite remains a very popular game today, and that alone is an impressive feat. Live service games do typically have longer shelf lives than others, but it's been nine years since Fortnite Battle Royale dropped. The simple fact that anyone still plays the game and that servers are kept up is unprecedented in the genre. That said, is the game actually growing or dying? Does Fortnite have the same pull ...
Fortnite
All Fortnite Gaming Collabs Still Coming to Chapter 7 Season 4
Zachary Roberts
Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 is the gaming season. It is all about gaming, both in overt collaborations and subtle references. Already, Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, and more have been featured in the early days of this season. We know for sure that more are on the way. For example, we've seen a trailer for Crash Bandicoot (outfit) and Spyro the Dragon (sidekick) coming soon. But leaks and ...
Fortnite
Opinion: It’s Getting Harder To Ignore Evidence That FNAF Is Coming to Fortnite
Zachary Roberts
Five Nights at Freddy's, or FNAF, has long been one of the most popular video games out there. Despite the original game's simplistic nature, it spawned sequels, incredible lore, and a film franchise. It has yet, however, to ascend into the rarefied air that is a Fortnite crossover. It has been leaked before. In fact, it was originally leaked in 2021, with subsequent rumors suggesting that it would finally arrive, ...
Fortnite
When does the current Fortnite season end?
Zachary Roberts
When does the current Fortnite season end? This is a question that’s always important to know the answer to. For one thing, many elements of the season, such as the items and characters, will go away at that time. That is also when players will no longer be able to earn battle pass rewards. The current Fortnite season, Chapter 7 Season 4, began on August 20. It’s expected to run ...
Fortnite
All Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Codes and How To Use Them
Zachary Roberts
In a totally unprecedented move, Fortnite has added lobby hacks or cheat codes to the game for Chapter 7 Season 4. Never before has this been possible, but you can now input codes for different things. It is rather fitting for the season that's all about gaming, as cheat codes and hacks have been a part of this industry for decades. Here are all the codes as well as how ...
News
Has a Fortnite Collaboration Revealed the Kingdom Hearts 4 Release Date?
Zachary Roberts
There is currently very little information in the public domain about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4 from Square Enix. We know the game exists, and we know it's going to be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, even if there isn't even a release date yet. There's been no trailer yet, either, just a blink-and-you'll-miss-it teaser from a Nintendo Direct. But a Fortnite collaboration leak, of ...
