Why Epic Games won’t change Fortnite’s loot in Zero Build mode

FortniteIt is well-known for hosting interactive events that bring together communities around the world. Recently, the Battle Royale Game hosted an event where two things were at stake. The two items — simple party balloons and a bubble shield reminiscent of Halo 3 — had been in Fortnite’s vault, but this event allowed players to vote on which one would get unvaulted. In the end, most of the votes went to the balloons, a weapon that some say is perfect for the game’s Build mode, though it’s much less optimal than the shield for Zero Build mode players. This, and complaints from players saying that future votes should be split among the two modes got me thinking about why. Fortnite doesn’t operate that way — or at least not yet.

Fortnite’s Zero Build and Build modes are two very different worlds. Some weapons and strategies work better in each mode than others. Zero Build has a top-tier loadout that includes a drum shotgun and striker rifle. It is supported by two heals and an movement tool such as a jetpack. Build mode is generally considered to be ineffective. Meanwhile, on the Build side, it’s all about grabbing a striker pump shotgun, an SMG, two heals, and either a long-range weapon or shockwave grenades.

So, why isn’t there any difference in the loot pool and voting systems of these two differing game types? According to Fortnite Cass Reynoso (communications staffer), Epic Games strives to keep all game types in sync.

Zero build is exactly the same thing as Fortnite’s original mode for its battle royale, minus the building mechanic. Both modes offer the possibility of sharing progression, gold bars and quests. This allows players to jump between them. But because Zero Build doesn’t have the option to build, there are added tweaks to make up for it, like the overshield. Only one difference exists between the modes. The launchpad and armored wall are both used with build mechanics.

I also learned, with help from Reynoso, that the current season’s voting round to unvault either the balloons or the bubble shield was the result of a global vote that included both Zero Build and Build players. There’s no breakdown of votes between players who prefer one mode or the other; splitting them up wouldn’t make sense anyway, due to how progression is maintained between modes. The format piles every vote together, allowing players to see the same percentage of votes for each item regardless of which playlist they’re playing.

The current system is as follows Fortnite’s loot pools, but I believe that there is a possibility it could change in the future. The two modes’ worlds have quickly grown apart, thanks to the large number of players and the different strats that have emerged in each arena. There’s no telling if they could grow even further, including the weapons and voting systems, later on.