Epic Games has confirmed major matchmaking changes are coming to Fortnite in this week’s 10.40 update.
The changes are designed to make Battle Royale a little easier and therefore more enjoyable for inexperienced players. But here’s why it could be good news for every Fortnite fan.
Fortnite matchmaking hasn’t changed since its Battle Royale mode made its debut more than two years ago. And this has become an increasingly annoying problem for new players.
With every single player thrown into the same matchmaking pool, there has been nothing to stop seasoned Fortnite fans having a field day against brand new users.
But it’s all going to change this week.
Fortnite’s big matchmaking changes
Epic has promised “improved matchmaking logic” for Fortnite version 10.40 and beyond. What that means is players will finally be matched with others of a similar skill.
If you’re new to the game, or you’re not particularly good at it, you will only play against other new or inexperienced players. If you’re a Fortnite master, you will play against other masters.
New players will also find themselves playing against bots. “They will behave similarly to normal players and will help provide a better path for players to grow in skill,” Epic says.
“Bots will work in conjunction with the new matchmaking system, and as your skill improves, you’ll face fewer Bots.”
When will these changes take place?
It’s not yet clear where the matchmaking changes will debut first, but Epic says it will “slowly roll this out to all regions across Battle Royale core modes” starting with this week’s update.
Bots won’t be arriving until season 11 kicks off next month. Epic promises to monitor the changes to see how they perform. It will make tweaks to iron out any issues over time.
“We’re excited to get this out for everyone to play with and will continue to update the system,” Epic continues. “We’ll update you when it’s fully live across all regions to get your feedback.”
Why better Fortnite matchmaking is necessary
It’s about time Fortnite added better matchmaking. It’s not the first — lots of online multiplayer games offer similar systems — and it’s necessary for big titles that are growing all the time.
Fortnite is a great game, but it takes a long time to master its many mechanics. And if you’ve only just started getting into it, it can be a horribly frustrating experience.
New players don’t want to be constantly eliminated by more experienced fans. It’s just not enjoyable, and it teaches you nothing. It’s easier to just play a different game entirely.
That’s a big problem for Epic. It wants more and more people to play Fortnite, but it’s hard to attract new users when the skill gap has become so substantial.
Why this is good for all Fortnite players
Experienced Fortnite players will likely be a little upset by this news. Their matches are going to get more difficult because they’ll face fewer newbies that help them rack up easy wins.
But in the long run, this change could be good for all Fortnite players. The advantages for new users are obvious, but there are others that will be welcome for long-time fans.
Epic has made lots of controversial changes in recent months to make Battle Royale more enjoyable for new players. It has admitted it wants to make it easier for newbies to get wins.
Those changes have included things like planes and mechs, which have been loathed by the vast majority of the community.
With skill-based matchmaking, changes like these won’t be necessary in the future. New players won’t need overpowered items and vehicles to counter a big skill gap. It won’t be there.
Overall, then, Battle Royale will be more enjoyable for everyone. Let’s just hope Epic gets it right.
