Fortnite recently announced significant changes to its competitive landscape for Chapter 6. These updates include restructuring tournaments, revising cash prize allocations, addressing cheating concerns, and introducing a revamped tournament schedule. The blog post outlining these changes faced accessibility issues, but reliable sources within the community summarized key details effectively.
The focus now shifts toward a more refined Fortnite competitive experience, with an emphasis on high-level gameplay integrity. The following sections outline these changes in detail, highlighting the implications for players.
Tackling Cheating in Fortnite Competitive
Fortnite has faced persistent cheating issues, particularly in Zero Build mode. Epic Games is restructuring tournaments to allocate cash prizes to only the highest tiers of competition, such as FNCS, divisional cups, and select cash cups. This shift aims to minimize opportunities for cheaters to exploit prize systems.
Epic is also ramping up legal action against both cheat providers and players caught using cheats. Players found teaming with cheaters will face a minimum 28-day ban. Additionally, players with bans of 14 days or longer will be barred from participating in FNCS during the ban period.
The Zero Build mode saw a pronounced cheating problem due to its reliance on precise aiming mechanics, making it a target for cheaters. With its removal from competitive play, Epic aims to reduce this issue while maintaining the integrity of Fortnite competitive.
Revised Tournament Schedule for Chapter 6
Epic introduced a detailed weekly tournament schedule for Chapter 6:
- Monday: No tournaments.
- Tuesday: EU and NA Performance Evaluation Cups.
- Wednesday: Divisional Cups Day 1 and Solo BR Ranked Cup.
- Thursday: Divisional Cups Day 2 and another Solo BR Ranked Cup.
- Friday: Solo BR Cash Cup.
- Saturday: Solo BR Ranked Cup and Division 1 Cup Finals.
- Sunday: OG Cups, Duo BR Ranked Cup, and Solo Cash Cup Finals.
Divisional cups require players to advance through various ranks, showcasing their skills and earning the opportunity to compete for prizes. These tournaments prioritize rewarding top-tier players while deterring cheaters.
Zero Build and Reload cups have been removed from the schedule due to prevalent cheating. Zero Build’s vulnerabilities to aimbotters and other exploits rendered it a problematic mode, necessitating its exclusion from competitive play until a robust anti-cheat system can be implemented. Fortnite’s competitive community has shared mixed reactions to these changes. While many players understand the rationale behind removing Zero Build mode, others lament its loss. Top Zero Build players have voiced concerns, though they generally agree with the need for change given the mode’s compromised competitive integrity.
Another major update is the announcement of the $250,000 PlayStation Cup, scheduled for December 6–8. This tournament will use the build mode, and additional details, including siphon mechanics, will be revealed closer to the event date. Last season, Epic tested various siphon mechanics, and Chapter 6 will incorporate finalized adjustments for competitive play. Epic also announced its winter break (December 23–January 5) and summer break (June 30–July 13), during which no tournaments will take place.
Addressing Cheating’s Broader Impacts
The pervasive cheating issue, particularly in Zero Build competitive, has created challenges for player retention and competitive integrity. Cheating not only undermines fair play but also discourages legitimate players. By publicizing these issues and allowing cheaters to dominate, Epic inadvertently exacerbated the problem.
The removal of Zero Build mode from competitive tournaments signals a decisive step toward restoring confidence in Fortnite’s competitive scene. By investing in legal action and anti-cheat improvements, Epic demonstrates its commitment to creating a fair and enjoyable experience for all players.
As Fortnite evolves its competitive ecosystem, these changes reflect a focus on rewarding legitimate skill, maintaining fair play, and addressing player concerns. The adjustments aim to enhance Fortnite competitive while minimizing the impact of cheating.
