Fortnitekicked off Chapter 5 at the end of last year. It did this by not only releasing the expected update for Battle Royale, but by adding three completely new gamemodes to its lineup of offered experiences. The new modes wereLEGO Fortnite, theGuitar Hero-esque Fortnite Festival, and Rocket Racing — a competitive racing game created in tandem withRocket Leaguedeveloper Psyonix.Fortnitehas offered different modes for players to engage with in the past, but they’ve primarily been limited to user-created experiences or LTMs built upon Battle Royale’s core gameplay.
Epic Games' decision to break away from its foundations and turnFortniteinto a metaverse for gaming was a bold one. While it makes sense that Epic wouldn’t want to place all its eggs in the Battle Royale basket,Fortnite’s expansion into these three new modes has been a cause for concern.Epic Games already saw significant layoffs last yearpartway throughFortnite’s unpopular Chapter 4. Spreading the already thinned staff across three new modes in addition to Battle Royale ensured thatFortnitewould have more modes to advertise, but the ability of these smaller teams to deliver the level of content and polish expected by players was called into question. With Chapter 5 nearing its end, a recent decision by Epic regarding one mode in particular has proved players correct in a concerning way.
The Future of Rocket Racing — and Fortnite as a Whole
In apost from the development team behind Rocket Racing, it was seemingly confirmed that Epic Games is ending its support forFortnite’s racing mode. Hidden between a list of ranked mode changes and a handful of bug fixes, the team shared that it will no longer be releasing themed updates for the mode. These are Rocket Racing’s equivalent of seasons. It was also implied that the team won’t be adding any more developer-made maps to Rocket Racing.
The post instead discussed the infinite potential of user-made maps in UEFN, essentially telling players that — if they want more maps for Rocket Racing — they can go make one themselves. The only confirmed official content in Rocket Racing’s future are new quests, new ranked periods, and new purchaseable cosmetics for vehicles.
The Difficult History of Rocket Racing
It isn’t a complete surprise that Epic is already sunsetting Rocket Racing not even a year after the mode’s release. While none of the three modes added in Chapter 5 have proven to be as successful as Battle Royale, Rocket Racing has easily performed the worst. The mode saw regularly low player counts due to lackluster gameplay, andcosmetics for Rocket Racing were critiqued for being too expensive. That being said, Epic Games has now set a dangerous precedent.
The Impact on Fortnite’s Other Modes
Players were already worried about the quality ofFortnite’s content after the developer further divided its limited resources. With Epic’s apparent decision to sideline Rocket Racing, Epic is also giving up a portion of the trust that fans have placed in it over the years. Epic has typically been quick to makefixes inFortnitebased on player feedback, but the developer has shown that it’s now willing to abandon an entire mode if the going gets tough. Not only that, but Epic is willing to abandon a mode that it has been selling players cosmetics for.
Though Battle Royale seems secure at the moment, Epic will have its work cut out for it when trying to convince players to invest both time and money in any newFortnitemodes. A mode like Fortnite Festival could have its support pulled just as easily. WithFortnite’s Chapter 6right around the corner, it’s entirely possible that Epic will attempt to add even more modes to the game.
What’s especially concerning is that Epic would rather use the hard work of UEFN creators to sustain Rocket Racing in an attempt to convince players to buy customization options instead of just removing the mode, reimbursing those who already spent money on it, and diverting the resources being used on vehicle cosmetics into places that will actually enhance the user experience. It is possible for Epic to recover from this and demonstrate care for its other modes. However, the developer’s handling of Rocket Racing has proven that nothing is permanent in this game — even if the game’s shop tabs will try to convince players otherwise.
Fortnite
WHERE TO PLAY
Create, play, and battle with friends for free in Fortnite. Be the last player standing in Battle Royale and Zero Build, experience a concert or live event, or discover over a million creator made games, including racing, parkour, zombie survival, and more. Each Fortnite island has an individual age rating so you may find the one that’s right for you and your friends.Explore large, destructible environments where no two games are ever the same. Team up with friends by sprinting, climbing and smashing your way to earn your Victory Royale, whether you choose to build up in Fortnite Battle Royale or go no-builds in Fortnite Zero Build.Discover even more ways to play across thousands of creator-made game genres: adventure, roleplay, survival and more. Or, band together with up to three friends to fend off hordes of monsters in Save the World.
