Fortnite Season 7 is one of the best seasons in recent memory, but it isn't perfect.
There are some balance issues to work through, but most of the new and returning items and weapons are a blast to use.
There's one exception, here: Parasites. Parasites can range from useful to game-ruining, depending on where you are in the match.
Epic Games
Now that parasites have clung themselves to all of the animals on the island, it's nearly impossible to escape infection in certain areas - especially in solos.
Thankfully, Epic took aim at the issue in the v17.21 patch.
Not only did Epic nerf the amount of health they take from you, but they made them fly slower so you can kill them more easily if you don't want to be infected.
As Parasites have grown accustomed to their host organisms, they now attach more symbiotically with the local fauna (and you).
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) July 27, 2021
In less science-y terms, they let you keep more of your Health than before and are slower to chase down potential hosts. pic.twitter.com/RzF9CPrrQZ
These changes do tow things: they make infection more of a decision on the player's part and they lower the downside of choosing to wear a little bug on your head.
So, it's both a buff and a nerf to the Parasites. The bugs, themselves, got nerfed, but their effect on the player has been buffed.