We need to talk about a static comp loot pool, again

Fortnite seems to oscillate between competitive and casual gameplay metas.

Some of the most boring seasons – from a content perspective – have also been some of the most competitive. The opposite is also true, as we’re seeing now.

The best items are not always the most comp-friendly, and pro players aren’t shy about sharing their opinions on the issue.

With Chapter 3 Season 1 being one of the most entertaining seasons in recent memory, we’ve returned to the same question: should competitive Fortnite have a static loot pool?

skilled game pic.twitter.com/8z35hSTbu0

— Falcon TaySon (@taysonFN) January 20, 2022

The argument for a competitive loot pool

“Split the loot pool” was a competitive cry for a long time, but that’s finally been impletmented.

Epic have already separated some of the most troubling items from competitive. New items don’t enter competitive queues right away and some never make it.

Just today, Epic nerfed the Web Shooters in competitive only – bringing their charges from 80 down to 20 in these modes.

Epic Games

The loot pool is about as split as it can be, yet pro players are still complaining.

It’s easy to understand why. This season is one of the most noob-friendly seasons in years.

The devastating MK and Stinger SMG drastically lower the building/editing skill gap, which is frustrating to good players.

The only solution to this would be a standardized loot pool that never changes – even as the map does. 

Would that include new shotguns or old ones? Would the Stinger SMG still be in the loot pool? It’s tough to say, which brings us to the other side of the argument.

Epic Games

The argument against a competitive loot pool

The argument against a static competitive loot pool is simple: it isn’t Fortnite.

Epic have always wanted to keep pro play as close to casual as possible. That’s become nearly impossible with some of the items they’ve added over the years, but it’s still a main goal of theirs.

Making a static loot pool would completely remove this feeling. If the loot pool stayed the same, pros would be playing with Chapter 2 weapons while we suffer through the delayed shots of the new shotguns.

Epic Games

Some games, such as Valorant and CS, tend to balance their games from the top down. They start with pros, and trickle down nerfs and buffs to the rest of the player base.

It doesn’t work like this in Fortnite. Epic clearly want to give low-skill players a chance. But does this mean pro players should be using the same loot pool? It’s tough to say.

The answer? Well, it seems like the only option is to suffer through some uncompetitive yet fun seasons and hope things are better next season.

Pros might not love it, but if we watch an FNCS that uses old weapons, we’d all get bored. Regardless of whether or not some of these weapons are OP, a healther game is an evolving game – even at the pro level.