The release of Fortnite Chapter 7 has resulted in a divided gaming community. The very first impressions of players are very diverse; there are those who consider it an instant classic and others who want deep changes already. The love-hate cycle for Fortnite is back but the difference this time is that the division is much larger.
From the very start, the new movement animations have been criticized a lot. Mario has said that after trying it out, he likes it but still wants the old movement animations back, claiming that the current ones are awful and even adding the hashtag #BringBackOMPP. This seems to be the general feeling among players who believe that the most basic movement is just not right. Besides, the whole surfing thing they have introduced is very much debated; some see it as a good thing, others, however, can’t fathom it… Ryan Williams even went as far as to call it utterly terrible and likened it to Overwatch mechanics, which is always a bad signal for Fortnite fans.
In spite of everything, the unpleasant user interface remains the most significant complaint amongst players. Some players are complaining about the locker UI being glitchy and it’s a nightmare to use. One player WHO111 just said the whole UI is very bad, while another player, named Non-Digital Nomad, told the whole thing felt buggy and broken. The emote wheel, particularly, is getting quite a bit of negative feedback with MrPickleSquirts saying that he can’t tolerate the current organization. Furthermore, Michael Jacobsen is urging that FortniteStatus should instantly change the emote wheel and randomizer for loadout because since the loadouts were introduced, the randomizer has not been working properly. This is… a drawback for a new chapter starting.
When it comes to the progression system, players have been saying that it is unbelievably slow. LandonVinc73347 questioned the concern if it is just him or if the whole thing is extremely slow, and JJanziel7366 vented his frustration that after playing for hours they are only at level 8. This XP grind seems to affect the current chapter differently, and not in a positive manner.
However, at least the map is receiving some good feedback! Hypercade called it one of their all-time favorite maps, asserting it could be top 3 seasons. Ethan agreed, saying this season is the best start to a chapter since Chapter 3 Season 1 from their perspective. But there are also players like JDuval who claim that the map looks like Chapter 5 and is utterly lousy, so surely there are mixed reactions.
Weapon balance is another issue that players do not agree on. astor_II claimed that the weapon sandbox is good, while marQ+ complained that Epic can’t even think of a good loot pool for a new season of a chapter. Blessedforeva7 was even more blunt, saying the guns suck and they don’t want a scope on every other gun. To make matters worse, the battle bus has disappeared and RaTFinK556UT is already second-guessing Epic by asking if they have gone mad. Itzz_Cosmicc pointed out that without the battle bus, they feel like they are not moving around the map much.
There have also been reports of performance problems. Reveluvlyz referred to it as the game lagging a lot and MistaBrandoVA said he had trouble with his controller because the input was delayed. At the same time, rylloiwnl is getting irritated with the absence of a ranked mode and no reload, saying it is not fun to see bots and Nintendo players in pubs and just kill them.
And we must not overlook the AI issues… Dr_Scaphandre has unequivocally opined that the generative AI assets are terrible and that they should be disposed of without delay, while MistaBrandoVA has lamented that there is an AI song in the battle pass as well. CloudedBlanket warned that with the choice of collaboration and the entire chapter, Epic could spoil the bag, which, given Fortnite’s history… yeah, that’s a worry.
Strangely enough, some gamers are having a blast despite the negative feedback. Anders Moore has proclaimed that it is their favorite season, and Heteos did it directly by saying I LOVE IT. SleepySamo defined it as peak together with the bugs, saying that the gunplay is so rewarding that it feels like you are a little bit in Call of Duty.
So, what’s the final verdict then? The situation is chaotic. Truly, a big chaos. Some players claim the core gameplay is pretty solid while others complain that the UI improvements, slow progression, and various bugs take away their Gaming experience at all. Fortnite Chapter 7 is brimming with potential but Epic has to do a lot of work if they want to win over the uncertain part of their gaming experience.
