Why The New Cuddle Fish In Fortnite Season 6 Are So Powerful

Now that Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 6 has officially started, players are finding all-new strategies to get to the top of the game's popular battle royale mode. Season 6 introduced a few fresh elements associated with the Primal theme, such as roaming animal NPCs and legendary heroine Lara Croft, while modifying some existing mechanics.

Fishing, first introduced when Fortnite expanded water-based activities in Chapter 2 – Season 1, has seen renewed interest thanks to a deadly new catch. Players can now head out to Fortnite's various lakes and rivers with a fishing rod and hunt Cuddle Fish. In his introduction to the new fishable item, Fortnite YouTuber Muselk explained that If a player is lucky enough to land a Cuddle Fish, they can then utilize it as an explosive.  Muselk then demonstrated that when thrown, the Cuddle Fish either explodes on contact with an enemy or attaches to the surface it lands on, ready to attack any passing players.

This Cuddle Fish behavior means that these new fish can be used as either a proximity mine or sticky bomb. While they aren't that dangerous by themselves, used in the right ways, the Cuddle Fish can deliver nigh guaranteed eliminations. Here is why the new Cuddle Fish in Fortnite is so dangerous.

The new Cuddle Fish catchable item isn't necessarily a game-changer when used alone but is very effective if gathered in large numbers. Popular Fortnite content creator Lachlan explained that one Cuddle Fish, either thrown at another player or planted as a trap, will deal 35 damage. After doing some quick math, Lachlan noted that six Cuddle Fish will deal enough damage to eliminate a player.

However, what sets the Cuddle Fish apart is that as a fishable item, dedicated players can farm large amounts of them, although it may take some time, as Lachlan demonstrated in a montage. While there is always intense competition for any loot boxes and the proximity mines found in them, Fortnite players may be able to fish and collect Cuddle Fish with less conflict. 

Once a player has collected a large amount of Cuddle Fish, they become much more dangerous. As an example, Muselk demonstrated how to bait an airdrop with Cuddle Fish to eliminate opponents. Later on, he also showed how effective they could be as a late-game weapon after winning a battle royale match by tricking his opponent into aggressively pushing on his position — straight into a Cuddle Fish trap.