Fornite has had to take a quick breather as developer Epic Games works through the destructive glitches brought on by the new weapon; the shockwave hammer.
Released just last month, the shockwave hammer came along with Fortnite’s Chapter 4 revamp. Sadly, almost as soon as it was released, players began to use it for evil. A glitch allowed players to use the hammer to bounce all over the map, crossing huge distances far more quickly than Epic expected, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
In a post, Reddit user SpenzerReadsAlot said that airborne enemies that usually have little mobility “can just quickly shockwave mid-air again only to turn around in the air and hit you with it”. This rare skill meant the only way to beat someone with a hammer was by using a hammer.
Even Epic realized that things had got out of hand, taking Fortnite offline to update the game with an urgent patch:
We'll be undergoing a brief downtime starting at 4 AM ET to deploy a patch addressing several issues including bouncing with the Shockwave Hammer more often than intended. Downtime is expected to last about one hour. pic.twitter.com/6aF8BWImkyJanuary 9, 2023
It appears Epic is struggling with many overlapping abilities and items, it pulled the vaulting system, which allowed you to automatically jump over low objects; removed the Deku Smash ability, and disabling the Aerialist Augment ability.
Smashing weapon
I haven’t played Fortnite since 2018, but hearing all the problems and complaints about overpowered weapons and world-destroying anime power moves doesn’t make me want to pick up the game again.
I enjoyed Fortnite when it was just you and your mates versus 90-odd randomers who all wanted you dead. Despite building being a new aspect, I enjoyed getting to grips with the mechanics as they helped make fights more dynamic and exciting.
Now when I look at teams filled with Ariana Grande, Deku, and various other mismatched characters, I’m confused about what Fortnite is. Is it some kind of multiverse roleplay? Why do some characters get special world-ending abilities and others don’t? The whole thing just seems so cluttered to me.
I am happy for those who enjoy the wide range of characters and abilities, but the shockwave hammer's destructive nature cemented the feeling that Fortnite is too busy for me. It’s probably best to stick with games I know, like the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II remaster or Rainbow Six Siege.
