The v10.20 update in Fortnite was the latest in a long line of controversial patches by Epic Games. The developers are seemingly taking Fortnite on an endless journey that results in one step forward, two steps back. While this is not uncharted waters for Epic, it does represent a dangerous gamble they are taking with their community. Sure, their player count is still high thanks to the casual users. But what happens when even more questionable updates come along?
It’s because of this unknown that Epic Games should consider adding in a feature for these updates to be tested. It’s clear that the developers don’t understand what the community wants. So, instead of Epic testing the updates, why not let the community?
Why do other titles have a test server but Fortnite doesn’t?
Fans have longed for some kind of a test server since the very early seasons of Fortnite. Most of the Battle Royales before it, H1Z1 and PUBG especially, had some kind of test server where players could play the game on the next update.
However, the biggest difference-maker between those games and Fortnite is the frequency at which they release updates. With Fortnite still being in early access, Epic Games can put out updates left and right without having to go through any red tape.
With a game like PUBG, updates come along much more slowly due to the game having to wait weeks before an update can go live. A fully released title has to wait for companies like Sony and Microsoft to approve their updates. This makes having a test server much more effective; with only one or two updates coming out per month, PUBG can easily wait until the community plays the update on the test server and then release it.
In terms of Fortnite, this practice is not as cut and dry. With an update releasing every Tuesday, there’s not much time for Epic Games to receive feedback from a test server.
Should Epic implement a test server?
The immediate answer most fans will have to this question is “yes”. It does make sense in the grand scheme of things to have players decide what works and what doesn’t work. However, as a new update comes every week, Epic might not have time to adjust what is already in the update.
It seems like the most logical solution is for Epic Games to make a change in how they release their patches. If they wait an extra few days to release an update so the community has time to give feedback, a test server would be a great thing for both sides.
This test server could be a part of the Creative mode, so it wouldn’t take too much effort to implement. The server would also only be used for things Epic believes could create some controversy among players or fundamentally change how Fortnite is played. The turbo building nerf is a perfect example of something that could be on this test server.
There’s no way to tell if Epic Games would actually go for this idea. However, if they want to keep Fortnite around, they might want to consider something of this nature.
What do you think about this idea? Let us know in the comments below. Keep up with Daily Esports for all Fortnite Season X coverage.
