Epic nerfs Remote Explosives in Fortnite after complaints
Remote Explosives (C4), the explosive item Epic Games unvaulted in Fortnite a little over two weeks ago, was silently nerfed this week. The change was likely made in response to complaints from players who have criticized the weapon as overpowered and too common in the game. Going forward, it'll be harder to get these explosives from Supply Drops and Chests, plus fewer are available in a drop.
For players who are somehow still unfamiliar with the classic explosive, Remote Explosives are exactly what they sound like: bricks of C4 with remote triggers strapped on each item, enabling the player to throw them, then remotely trigger the explosion. This item was controversial the first time it was in the game and it remains an annoyance for some players.
Many other players love Remote Explosives, however; they're more precise than Grenades, which have a habit of rolling away from your target location, plus they have far less stealthy than C4. Epic has come up with a compromise between the two, keeping the item in the game, but with some big changes.
According to Fortnite leaker HYPEX, Epic quietly nerfed Remote Explosives, reducing their floor loot and Chest spawn rate frequency from 0.3 to 0.15, effectively cutting it in half. As well, the spawn rate in Supply Drops has decreased from 0.4 to 0.2, plus now only a single C4 brick drops rather than three in a bundle.
Spawn Rate nerf (From > To):
- Supply Drops: 0.4 > 0.2
- Floor Loot & Chests..: 0.3 > 0.15— HYPEX (@HYPEX) March 19, 2020
The change probably won't be enough to satisfy all users, particularly competitive players who are tired of being wiped out by a strategically hidden C4 brick. However, it will now force players to make the hard choice about whether they'll even carry the item — with only a single explosive in each chest, it may end up being a waste of backpack space.