Ali-A explains how Epic can stop “killing” Fortnite

Fortnite Chapter 2 has been a crowd-pleaser for the most part, but popular YouTuber Ali-A released a lengthy video detailing how the devs could improve the battle royale.

One of the biggest complaints from Fortnite content creators, pros, and community members alike has been the Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) system implemented in the game’s multiplayer.

SBMM pairs players of similar skill level in the same lobby. While this sounds great on paper, the lackluster execution has been creating situations where Fortnite games are wildly competitive, even in casual environments – taking some of the joy that the battle royale offered, according to Ali-A.

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“Ultimately, for some people it [SBMM] was great, generally the bad players,” Ali said. “For the better players, it was putting them in skill lobbies where the skill is more even. It generally made content creations a lot harder and generally makes the mood of the game a lot more dull.”

To drive his point, the YouTuber pointed out that the random fun in matches from Fortnite’s early months aren’t as prevalent. It’s at the point where it’s “almost impossible” for casual players to hop in and get that “odd win,” he explained.

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While people were still getting the hang of the game and how it works at that time, it’s more about the kind of firefights that would randomly pop up – creating a hectic gaming experience filled with unexpected thrills.

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Ever since SBMM came into the game, these instances have been far and few between for a lot of Fortnite community members.

The effects of the changes have been putting off people from the shooter, and, as a result, souring the experience for the people left playing.

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“If Fortnite aren’t careful, this implementation of SBMM will just slowly kill the whole community even more,” Ali-A said.

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The longtime Fortnite content creator is a staunch supporter of the game and as such explained a variety of ways that Epic Games can go about improving their battle royale.

This included revamping the ‘Fun Factor’ that Fortnite was iconic for. Items like Port-a-Fort weren’t perfect, but they offered that bizarre sort of enjoyment that was part competitive, part campy humor.

Along with the changes Epic has made over the years, some of the fun factor has diminished, the YouTuber says, so bringing back certain items and weapons could help restore that.

As for the recurring changes the Fortnite typically have, Epic Games knocked it out of the park in Chapter 1 with the various patch notes and updates they launched.

Ali-A was impressed with the amount of content week-in-week-out that Fortnite used to release. While that amount of content is realistic anymore, he thinks Epic needs to roll out with a “consistent pace” of exciting additions to the Fortnite map to keep things interesting.

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One of the biggest criticisms that the developers have faced since the release of Chapter 2 is their inconsistent approach to updates and patch notes, so going back to the pattern they established in Chapter 1 could be a solid move.

All in all, bringing Fortnite back to its heydey doesn’t come down to a single miraculous change. Instead, Epic Games will have to strategize and figure out what approach will yield them the most positive feedback moving forward.