The creators of 'Fortnite' have finally responded to the pleas of hundreds of players and fixed the giant robots that have been terrorizing the game for weeks
- "Fortnite" creator Epic Games has unleashed a slew of changes to weaken the B.R.U.T.E., a giant robot suit that has been terrorizing the game's battle royale mode.
- The B.R.U.T.E. was added to "Fortnite" in July and must be piloted by two players, but it had tons of armor and firepower that make it difficult to defeat.
- For weeks, well-known players have been complaining that the B.R.U.T.E. was ruining the game's creative balance, starting a hashtag called #RemoveTheMech on social media.
- Epic Games tried to defend the B.R.U.T.E. in an August 15 blog post, but the creators finally gave in and weakened the suit with a patch on August 22.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The creators of "Fortnite" have responded to the pleas of hundreds of players by lowering the firepower of a giant robot that has been terrorizing the game for weeks.
Epic Games added the B.R.U.T.E. mech suit to the game with "Fortnite's" season 10 update on August 1. The B.R.U.T.E. is a two-person vehicle that requires one player to pilot while the other player controls a rocket launcher and shotgun. The B.R.U.T.E. can crush players and destroy buildings simply by stomping through them, and its boosters give it tons of mobility compared to players on foot.
The mech has been wreaking havoc in battle royale matches, and some of the most well-known "Fortnite" players started a social media hashtag #RemovetheMech to petition for the B.R.U.T.E. to be removed entirely. Players have specifically complained about their inability to defend themselves against the B.R.U.T.E. during competitive matches.
The game's developers attempted to defend the B.R.U.T.E.'s strength in an August 15 blog post, sharing specific stats about how many players were eliminated using the mech in battle royale matches. Epic said the mech was designed to bring "spectacle and entertainment" to the game, and make it easier for players with a lower skill level to win a match.
"The mission of Fortnite is to bring players of all skill levels together to have a fun experience where anyone can win. For example - everyone having a shot at that first elimination or Victory Royale moment and the satisfying feeling that comes with it. Right now, we know there are players out there who have never had that opportunity," the developers said in the post.
Now, one week later, Epic announced sweeping changes to the B.R.U.T.E., lowering its speed and damage, and making it appear less often overall. The changes are designed to make the mech a defensive tank, rather than an aggressive juggernaut.
"We want to reduce a B.R.U.T.E.'s ability to engage and disengage at long distances to encourage a more strategic approach to an encounter," the detailed patch notes read. "In general we hope to shift B.R.U.T.E.s away from being highly mobile and put more emphasis on their already defensive nature."
The B.R.U.T.E. will still be around for the foreseeable future, but it seems that players will have now a better chance to fight back. "Fortnite" regularly cycles through weapons and vehicles, so its possible that the mechs will be a distant memory in a few months, or just replaced with something even more powerful.
"Fortnite" is the most popular game in the world with more than 250 million players, and it's free to play. The game also supports competitive events that give away millions of dollars in prize money.
