Building shmilding
Think about this: Fortnite was able to make a massive comeback with casual gamers be removing the one mechanic that made Fortnite a sensation in the first place.
Building has always been the cornerstone of Fortnite. The problem? We, as a community, got too good.
The basics have always been there, but too many people mastered them. After two years, casual players couldn’t compete. Even returning players would get destroyed by someone who grinds the game every day. It became a massive barrier to entry.
Now, we’re in the Zero Build era. Fortnite is healthier than ever after removing building, which was what everyone loved about Fortnite when they first started playing.
Zero Build: it was already a no-brainer
Obviously, Epic always intended to have building in Fortnite. I’m here to argue that they had a long list of items that work best without building.
All you need to do is look at the returning items Epic have brought back to Fortnite. The Jetpack, Bubble Shield, Turret, Boogie Bomb, Balloons – all of these are more viable in a Zero Build game.
Other items like the Port-A-Fort, Smoke Grenades, Junk Rift, and more weren’t overly useful in normal Fortnite.
In Zero Build, they work perfectly.
Epic have always balanced Fortnite from the bottom-up, giving lower-skilled players a way to close the gap.
That means that there have always been more items that neutralize building and cater to players who don’t love that aspect of Fortnite.
Now that Zero Build is a thing, these items fit into the meta better than ever. The Shield Bubble is a perfect example – something that should have been in Zero Build since the start.
As the mode grows in popularity, Epic will create more and more creative items to add. Like it or not, Zero Build is the future of Fortnite.
