Fortnite Building Returns This Week, But Should It?

Well, that was quick. According to Fortnite News, Epic Games' runaway success, "Fortnite," is returning to its roots on March 29; as a crafty battle royale game that consists of 100 contestants trying to outlive — and out-build — one another. Fortnite News is not an official source, but it has a solid track record for getting these things right, which is most likely why it's earned over 1.1 million followers on Twitter.

This potential news leak follows after exactly one week of "Fortnite" deviating away from its traditional mining-crafting-building loop and trying something faster-paced, specifically in public matchmaking sessions, but if it turns out to be true, the sudden shift may leave fans feeling toyed with. Especially since data miners have widely leaked information that indicated no-building mode is here to stay, reported PC Gamer on March 24 — only three days after the initial "Fortnite" change went live during its Chapter 3, Season 2 update on March 21.

Whether or not this is good news (if it turns out to be true) is up to you. The current "Fortnite" matchmaking mode prohibits anyone from placing protective barriers on the fly. But it doesn't offer the same "Fortnite" experience that many longtime fans have come to know and love, even though its renewed focus on run-and-gun style survival has evidently made it more welcoming to a number of gamers who weren't fans before.

It's understandable that the comments from fans are split regarding this development. In one camp, it's common to find traditional "Fortnite" fans essentially telling the newbies to "get good". Many have taken to Twitter to air their concerns, specifically underneath the leak posted by Fortnite News, where @ssb_celo remarked, "Finally, no building was boring asf. Everyone just camps in all my matches and only 3rd parties."

In the other camp, it seems like there's a strong sense of resentment toward the old ways, or at least a welcoming of the new direction that "Fortnite" has found itself wandering in. Another Twitter user, @clarktheshark76, commented, "Leave building out or severely limit how much you can build. I don't wanna be in a firefight and as soon as I shoot at someone they build a 5 star hotel around themselves".

It's currently unclear whether or not Epic Games plans to reintroduce its building feature for real, but it wouldn't exactly bode well if "Fortnite" turns corners on its core gameplay mechanics this sharply, this often. The fundamental identity of its public matchmaking mode already changed just last week, and if the company initially planned to keep it for the long haul, it at least could have been more thoroughly tested; especially if there was any concern that the developers would need to roll it back later.