Fortnite Has Finally Nerfed The B.R.U.T.E. Mech

Fortnite: Battle Royale’s overpowered mechs have finally been cut down a peg or two. An update recently went live for the multiplayer shooter, introducing sweeping changes that nerf the B.R.U.T.E. mech’s powerful weaponry and expansive movement.

The new mech has been a source of much chagrin in the Fortnite community since its introduction at the beginning of Season 10. An earlier patch reduced the frequency with which the mech would appear in competitive game modes, and Epic followed this up by explaining that they added the controversial vehicle to help players who were struggling to win. After further outcry, however, Epic has now addressed some of the player base’s vocal concerns. The mech hasn’t been vaulted as many had hoped, but this is a positive step in the right direction.

In a blog post last night, Epic detailed the balance adjustments recently applied to the pesky metal killing machines. The B.R.U.T.E.s now fire six rockets in a single charge as opposed to 10, and have seen the blast radius shrink by 42%. Rockets also now fire 56% slower, which Epic says will “allow the players on the receiving end of the missile volley to have more time to react and protect themselves.” The developer added that “B.R.U.T.E.s will continue to be a strong option against structures, but less lethal against players.”

In terms of movement, the dash cooldown has been increased by two seconds, while boosting in the air will give you decreased velocity by 33%. “The adjustment here reduces the ability to close gaps quickly while in the B.R.U.T.E. while also increasing the ability to land shots on target for players facing the B.R.U.T.E.,” Epic added. “In general we hope to shift B.R.U.T.E.s away from being highly mobile and put more emphasis on their already defensive nature.”

The B.R.U.T.E. no longer grants materials to the driver and passenger when stomping or dashing through the environment, either. “Our goal is to add more tension between being in and out of a B.R.U.T.E. as well as reduce instances where players can farm faster than intended without exposing themselves to danger.”

Finally, mech spawn rates have been changed in Fortnite’s core modes after the change was previously implemented in its competitive modes. There’s now a possibility that no mechs will spawn at the beginning of each storm phase, and if they do there will be fewer than before.

As a counter to all of these nerfs, the mech has also received some slight buffs. The material cost of using the gunner’s overshield has been decreased from 200 to 75, and the mech’s overall health has seen a slight boost from 1000 up to 1250. This plays into Epic’s reworking of the mechs as a defensive vehicle. “With the above changes, users of the B.R.U.T.E. need to play a bit more strategic than before, so we want to give a little bit longer of a window to do so.”

These changes probably won’t placate everyone, but they should hopefully lead to Fortnite matches feeling a little bit fairer.