A well-known Fortnite leaker, ShiinaBR, has made public the fact that the game’s developer, Epic Games, is still working on the five-player squad mode, or ‘Quints’ as it is usually referred to. This was an announcement made on various platforms and it implies that the creators are actively trying to find new methods of making the game’s social interaction and cooperation more entertaining, but no date for this feature’s official release has been given yet. The response from the community has been a mix of both; some people are thrilled at the idea of bigger squads while others are concerned about the current state of servers and the problems with pairing players.
Let me share some gossip with you! ShiinaBR, who is like a magician concerning Fortnite leaks just divulged something. No, it was not a huge teaser or anything like that, just a modest tweet along with the big eye emojis, nothing less nothing more. “Epic is still working on 5-player lobbies (Quints) 👀”. That is indeed the tweet! But, wow, did it create a lot of discussions.
First of all, ‘Quints’? Is that what we are going to call it? The term gives the impression of quintuplets or something similar rather than a squad ready to drop into Sweaty Sands. One reply from NotCoolos went like, “This is how I find out it’s called a sQUAD bc they’re 4” and honestly? Same here. My whole existence is a lie! However, the name is quite attractive, and everyone has to accept that. Quints. It does sound nice.
The feedback of the people who responded to Epic was… noisy, just like usual. The hype squad is there. Dailey and people alike expressed their relief by saying, “okay thank goodness epic didn’t scrap it”. And Raiden (MGJackRipper) was already thinking about his new squad tweeting, “Now my gf’s lil brother can join the squad too”. Isn’t it a dream? No one gets excluded when you have a full squad of four already. Five-player lobbies could be a big invention for groups of friends.
But, hold on. Don’t get overexcited yet. The other half of the responses? They were completely contrary. There were a lot of people saying in a chorus that the present game has to be fixed before they would even think about adding anything new. User 44ozWater was very blunt: “Need to work on fixing their shitty servers”. Ouch! But, is it accurate? Another gamer, helsie, was of the same opinion by commenting, “they can’t even handle 4-player lobbies. shit ass game lags every few minutes.”
Another concern that comes with the new feature is that matchmaking will get worse. Tsuki was quick to say, “Bruh the matchmaking for squads is so bad imagine a 5 player game..? ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜”. The sadness is very palpable with those crying emojis. Trying to end up with a balanced and fun game with four randoms is already a gamble. Adding a fifth player to the mix? It could be an utter mess. The beautiful, terrible kind.
The comments on the post also went off in various directions, just like Twitter being Twitter. Sleepy_Meta went on a rant about Roblox taking over the internet, which, okay? And LANZAROTEJESUS7 had a message that needed to be translated but the core was clear: stop with the inventions and enhance the game’s quality. “la solucion no es la cantidad es la calidad” – quality instead of quantity is the solution. A very strong point, indeed.
So, where does all this lead to? It’s quite obvious Epic is playing with the formula. They made Trios, they made Squads, and they even made large team modes like 50v50. A special five-player mode is the next reasonable step. All they have to do is change the number and see what impact it has on the game’s social component. However, the player feedback is nothing but a huge flashing warning sign. The foundation needs to be solid. Gamers are very clearly stating their preference for a smooth server and better matchmaking over a new player slot coming in a heartbeat.
It’s a usual case of developer dilemma. Keep on releasing new and exciting features that might turn the game upside down? Or, stay down and keep enhancing the core experience that the hardcore players are using every single day? The answer is usually both but it’s never that easy. The fact that ShiinaBR has said they are “still working on it” means it hasn’t been overlooked but it might not be the highest priority. Perhaps it is alongside a substantial server optimization update. Who knows?
In conclusion, the hype around ‘Quints’ reflects that players are an integral part of Fortnite’s social ecosystem. To the players, it is a must that the option of playing with friends on PlayStation and Xbox remains a smooth experience in this popular battle royale title.
