Fortnite's B.R.U.T.E Mech Is Just Plain Brutal
Fortnite Season 10 introduced the B.R.U.T.E Mech, a weaponized vehicle that many players have grown to hate. Several well-known community members have expressed their displeasure with the addition, including some who have grown so fed up that they've stopped playing Fortnite entirely.
After #RemoveTheMech started trending on Twitter, Epic Games addressed the controversy in a blog post detailing their game design philosophy. Their verdict? That a vocal minority had blown the issue out of proportion and that the Mechs, which continue to serve their intended purpose, would remain in the game.
"The mission of Fortnite is to bring players of all skill levels together to have a fun experience where anyone can win," read the update. "Another part of the mission is to provide spectacle and entertainment when playing Fortnite."
"The B.R.U.T.E. was added at the start of Season X with this mission in mind. Since then, we have seen players who had previously struggled with getting eliminations acquiring more, while the number of eliminations earned by more experienced players remained steady."
Despite Epic Games' explanation, players, including long-time supporters of the company, have continued to vent their frustration. An August 21 post on the official Fortnite Instagram announcing the game's collaboration with DJ MajorLazer received hundreds of comments demanding that Epic remove the B.R.U.T.E from the game. Even Marshmello, who won the 2018 Fortnite Celebrity Pro-AM alongside Ninja, joined in the outcry, responding "Vault the mech!!!!"
The same day, Fortnite caster and presenter Jack 'CouRage' Dunlop took things a step further, quitting a $400,000 Twitch Rivals tournament after a group of Mechs decimated his defenses during the stream. When a Mech shows up, let alone an entire gang, there's not much you can do. The encounter proved the last straw for CouRage. "I'm not playing anymore bro, I'm off this game, I'm sorry Tim, I'm not playing anymore today," CouRage told his partner Tim 'TimTheTatman' Betar. "I love this game so much, and how incompetent is this decision dude? I'm off this game – I can't play it."
Will Epic Games stand by their game design philosophy in the face of criticism from high-profile streamers? Or will they finally break under the pressure and vault the controversial vehicle?