News

Fortnite's latest event was great, but many upset fans couldn't join

By Brittany Roston/

On Monday, Epic Games finally conducted its 'The Device' event in hit battle royale game Fortnite, ushering in the climax of its Season 2 storyline ahead of the anticipated Season 3 premiere. Many players attended this event, which took place in an unlimited eliminations Team Rumble match. The company had warned weeks ahead of time that space was limited, but never clarified what that meant.

Epic had warned Fortite players to get into 'The Device' event match half an hour early due to limited space, but the company never explained how limited space was and just how many people would get to attend. As it turns out, demand for 'The Device' was high and it took a single minute past the half-hour mark for the event to reach max capacity.

Fans were alerted to the status change in a tweet published by Epic on Twitter at 1:31PM ET, a mere 60 seconds after fans were told to join the match and a full 29 minutes before the event even started. The company could merely suggest that everyone who didn't manage to get in instead participate by watching a live stream.

As you'd expect, players were very unhappy about not being able to participate despite showing up only a single minute later than advised. Complaints can be found across social media, including on the official Fortnite Twitter account and Reddit. Gamers are criticizing Epic for failing to increase capacity despite knowing how popular its live events are and how long it has had to prepare — Season 3 was delayed three times, after all.

Epic has not commented on the controversy.

The event confirmed the biggest Fortnite leak, one that Epic itself had teased with the game. Midas failed in his mission to end the Storm, instead causing a massive flood that is, at the end of Season 2, held back from the island by large barriers. When Season 3 arrives tomorrow, it is expected that the flood will cover the island, adding sharks and entirely new ways to play.

Recommended