With every new Fortnite season comes a little bit of controversy. Whether it be a head-scratching weapon vault (Pump Shotgun) or a strange map change, Epic Games never disappoints in this department. For Fortnite Season X, they made the decision to vault Ballers.
The Baller has served as one of the staples of both casual and competitive Fortnite for the past several months. An uber-effective vehicle for traversing the map, it quickly became the vehicle of choice for most players. Being able to swing from surface to surface and escape gunfights was incredibly useful. However, this was vastly overpowered, requiring Epic Games to nerf its mechanics several times.
So, what does the Baller being vaulted mean for Fortnite going forward?
Why the Baller was vaulted
In their official patch notes, Epic Games described Season X as a less mobile season than others. It’s this line of thinking that led them to vault the Ballers along with nearly every other mobility item/vehicle in the game.
While this might make sense on the development side of things, it makes little sense for overall gameplay. The Ballers are easy to use but hard to master, and they serve a clear purpose. They also make the game better for all game modes, competitive included. There’s a reason professionals used them religiously.
Although Epic has their reasoning, Fortnite‘s gameplay got worse with the removal of the Baller.
What this means going forward
It’s clear that Epic Games is attempting to push their own agenda with today’s Vaults. While they vaulted almost all the mobility items, they introduced a huge Mech suit (B.R.U.T.E.) as a new way to traverse the map.
Obviously, Epic wants players to use this going forward rather than the other vehicles/items. While the B.R.U.T.E. might be okay for casual play, it belongs nowhere near competitive. The problem is that although it probably won’t be in competitive play, its presence means the Ballers, Shadow Bombs, etc. won’t be in competition either.
The community is already up in arms about what this could mean for Fortnite as a whole. Time will tell if Epic Games decides to listen to their player base or ride it out as they did in Season 7 with the planes.
What do you think of the Ballers being vaulted? Let us know in the comments below. And make sure to keep up with Daily Esports for more on this and other Fortnite Season X coverage.
