Quality of Life and Performance Improvements
Despite still being in Early Access, Fortnite Battle Royale feels superbly polished already, and that’s thanks to some tireless effort from Epic Games. With the number of changes we’ve enjoyed since the game’s launch, it’s as if the developer has been working around the clock to iterate and improve its gameplay. It seems every week brings something new that alters the dynamic for the best, and recently that’s mostly been oodles of cool new weapons and items.
Yet it’s actually the improvements to the game’s optimization and various quality of life changes that we’re most happy with. Arguably the biggest point of difference from its rival battle royale title, PUBG, isn’t actually the cartoon aesthetic and fort building, but rather the smaller tweaks to its UI, various quality of life improvements, and the upgrades to its overall graphical performance.
Small alterations, such as being able to automatically pick up ammunition, the trajectory of thrown weapons being given a visual cue, and more fun things like the shot distance reader, have combined to make a big difference. Additionally, the rebalancing of weapon performance and drop rates have also helped hone the ebb and flow of matches. And Fortnite Battle Royale feels like a finished product now thanks to its slick menus, customization options, and a comprehensive list of player stats.
It’s also worth mentioning that Epic has never shied away from completely backtracking on changes made if the game has suffered as a result. Most recently, of course, the guided missile launcher, which the developer felt gave an unfair advantage to attackers who could hide during its use. The reactiveness of the development cycle and the culmination of these less obvious but critical adjustments have been a key takeaway of Fortnite’s ongoing journey to a full launch.
