Epic disables many pickaxes in Fortnite Competitive without explanation
Epic has announced that several pickaxes cannot be used in Fortnite Competitive, though it hasn't explained why. If you load into a competitive match with one of these pickaxes, it will automatically be swapped out with the default pickaxe until you manually select a different option.
The company announced this change in a post on its Fortnite Status Twitter account. No explanation for this decision was offered, but the company did note that it is temporary and that it will let players know when the pickaxes can once again be used in the game's competitive matches.
We've disabled several pickaxes from competitive playlists. We'll let you know when these have returned.
You can find the full list on our Community Trello here:https://t.co/tZCaBthi5M pic.twitter.com/cDQekbR0EL
— Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) May 27, 2021
A total of 15 pickaxes are currently on the 'disabled' list, which can be found with any relevant updates on the Fortnite Trello bug board. The temporary nature of this change suggests there is something about these particular pickaxes that may be giving players a competitive advantage.
Some players have claimed that Beast Boy's Beast Bat pickaxe has a slightly longer reach than other pickaxes, meaning it could be used to cause damage to opponents who may not be able to return the damage with their own pickaxe. It's unclear whether this is the reason Epic has disabled them, however.
There are only a couple of weeks left until Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 6 ends on June 7 and the next season arrives. We know that aliens will play a big role at the end of this current season and will likely be the main theme for the next season. Based on leaks, players can expect a crop circle to appear on the island any day now, as well as the arrival of UFOs.