Should the Grappler return to Fortnite in Season 10?

Fortnite’s always had a hard time with balancing vehicles, but perhaps a return of the Grappler could help in Season 10?

From the Shopping Cart to the Baller, Epic’s vehicular ventures in Fortnite haven’t always hit their mark. Often times, they give players too many advantages without the risks of a regular rotation. Adversely, some vehicles become completely obsolete due to awful stats.

Perhaps a new version of the Grappler could replace Fortnite’s vehicles? A community suggestion presents a unique look at a new way of thinking about fast rotations. The idea’s premise is similar to the Shadow Bomb, but with a bit more speed involved.

Grappler v2 could replace Fortnite vehicles

Alright, if you are a casual player who doesn’t pay too much attention to the competitive scene, you might be confused by the controversy around vehicles. In casual Fortnite, end games aren’t generally hectic with only about 5 to 10 players in the last circles. Rotations are still important at this level, but not nearly as skill-based as in competitive games.

By rotations, we mean the movements you must make around the circle in order to proceed to the next Storm safe zone. These movements have always been key to Fortnite’s gameplay, but the introduction of various vehicles has deteriorated the skill gap for the mechanic.

Community member and inventor, Skellzim, proposes a re-introduction of the Grappler which could be used as a replacement for vehicles.

Grappler V2! Concept from r/FortNiteBR

While we like the general idea of the momentum mechanic, this concept needs a few tweaks in our opinion. Skellzim’s concept definitely could help with the skill gap in end-games, but everything in a multiplayer game needs a bit of risk vs. reward.

Instead of unlimited charges, we suggest a limit of 20 charges per stack in your inventory. This way the player must choose between a fast rotation item that may run out or a weapon/healing item. Unlimited charges might lead to spam.

Also, we think the idea of Baller-like mechanics without the shielding of the vehicle can be adjusted. Seeing players hitting the ground at full speed with no consequence may look a bit silly, so instead Epic could implement a damage model for the Grappler v2.

Depending on your current speed and trajectory, crashing into the ground or a build would cause a capped amount of damage. As you swing through the air, you’ll need to be careful about your landings instead of just brainlessly flying around….