Some ‘Fortnite’ players aren’t too happy with the new Infinity Blade weapon

By Gabe Gurwin December 12, 2018

Fortnite infinity blade — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The most recent Fortnite update added the Infinity Blade weapon to the game’s battle royale mode, as a way of paying tribute to the now-delisted trilogy of games on the App Store. The introduction of a melee weapon seemed like a great way to shake up the multiplayer formula, but players are complaining that the sword is overpowered.

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A thread posted on the Reddit page FortniteCompetitive asked users to give their opinion on the new sword, which allows you to take out targets with huge slashes and leap much farther than usual. The responses were mixed, but many argued that it risks breaking the game.

“It’s the worst thing [Epic has] ever added to the game,” one user wrote, with several users agreeing with them.

Others questioned why the weapon was included in the standard battle royale mode, rather than a separate limited-time mode similar to what the game did with Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War. They also worried that the weapon could be featured in the Winter Royale tournament, which has $1 million in prizes. Unfortunately for them, the weapon is included.

Winter Royale Semi-Finals | Day One (North America)

Frustration has also apparently been directed at the players who choose to use the blade in the Winter Royale. One user, who goes by “Xycik,” said their efforts prior to using the weapon had largely gone unnoticed, but they were now receiving “hate” from players who weren’t happy that Xycik won the second heat of the Winter Royale with the blade.

Epic Games’ decision to include the weapon just as the tournament was beginning has also drawn flack, as it gave players little time to prepare and see how the game had changed. Only one person can wield the Infinity Blade in a match, and it offers a big health and shield bonus to its user. They can also move more quickly, though they’re forced to drop everything other than building items when they pick it up.

Fortnite is now available with crossplay on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. The latest update also added the limited-time mode “Close Encounters,” which uses shotguns exclusively, and features a quicker storm near the end of the match.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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