"Fortnite" - Epic Games announced that its new Infinity Blade on Fortnite was taken off the popular battle royale game. The weapon was being criticized by players over its overpowered nature. Tech Spot reported that the weapon originally spawned once every game in the same location. The Infinity Blade dealt 75 damage with each swing. The powerful feature was its ability to rip through any player-made structures
The" Infinity Blade" was originally a fighting/RPG game published by Epic Games on the App Store in 2010.
It became the first mobile game to take advantage of the Unreal Engine, delivering stunning visuals on mobile devices. Epic Games previously announced that they were retiring the franchise.
Infinity Blade debuted during live tournament
Fortnite released the item the same day as their North American Winter Royale Tournament. The tournament players were all focused on the Infinity Blade and finding ways to counter its power. Fans who tuned into the Twitch stream of the tournament saw how powerful the Infinity Blade was and how it ruined the gameplay.
Over the past few days, fans figured out the worth of the Infinity Blade, leading to Twitch streamers and YouTube creators made videos of themselves destroying opponents with the Infinity Blade.
Epic Games responded on Thursday, saying they were eliminating the ability for players to harvest and build while holding the blade.
Reddit users complained and Epic Games listened
Reddit users fired back saying they didn't want to play the game until it was more balanced and players had a way to defend themselves against the overpowering weapon. After Epic Games removes this weapon, the future of "mythic" weapons is unclear. Players have suggested adding them to a limited time game mode. This gives players the ability to enjoy them without ruining the overall game. Epic was quick to admit they made a mistake and attempt to fix it. Fortnite/Epic Game on Twitter admitted they "messed up."
The Infinity Blade is part of Epic Game's struggle to balance the casual and changing nature of Fortnite. The competitiveness of Fortnite has attracted top e-sports teams and athletes and has claimed the top spot on Twitch.
Epic continues to work at shrinking the skill gap between the best and average players. Casual players will leave if they can't win a game or get out-skilled by veteran players.
Epic is best known for listening to Fortnite players feedback and changing the game with updates. It's led to making Fortnite one of the most popular among pros, streamers and casual gamers. Epic is also nerfing their newest additions that include airplanes and the zip lines.