OpTic’s Scump on competitive Fortnite – “People just hide in boxes”
Professional Call of Duty player Seth ‘Scump’ Abner gave a scathing review of competitive Fortnite, explaining why the constant 1×1 builds and ‘heal offs’ ruin the experience.
The OpTic Gaming star is a fan of Fortnite, at least in terms of casual play, but isn’t so keen on the competitive side of the battle royale game, largely due to certain gameplay styles that have emerged.
He points out the reliance on ‘hiding’ in 1×1 builds near the end game to ensure a higher placing, and the frustrating ‘heal-offs’ – where the player with more heals has the advantage, rather than the player with more skill.
Following the conclusion of the Fall Skirmish, which saw FaZe Clan’s Turner ‘Tfue’ Tenney and Dennis ‘Cloak’ Lepore net $500,000 for 1st place, Scump discussed competitive Fortnite on his stream.
He explains that with the way it is currently played, it is “not a competitive game” in his opinion, calling it “hiding in boxes” – referring to the 1×1 builds strategy.
He goes on to be more specific, highlighting the issue of heal-offs, which competitive Fortnite players and fans themselves have been vocal about.
Heal-offs are typically late game situations when only a few players remain, and the winner is often determined by who has more heals (i.e. med-kits, bandages, shields etc.) and who uses them at the right time. It means that gun skill and building ability become secondary to heals.
Scump has been a professional esports player for over a decade and his sentiments are often shared by others, not limited to Fortnite but to all battle royale games.
Due to the very RNG (random number generated) nature of these games, where weapons, heals and equipment are all subject to chance, battle royale games could be forgiven for a lack of competitive ‘integrity’.
However, Scump’s complaints are more focused on play styles elected by players themselves, rather than an issue at the core of the game and its mechanics.