Epic Will Address Fortnite 'Pay-To-Win' Skin Controversy
Epic has responded to player complaints about all-black Fortnite superhero skins that, some players say, is akin to 'pay to win.' The reason is that these skins blend into dark, shadowy regions so well that they're nearly impossible to perceive when shadows are turned on. Because console players can't disable shadows, they're at a disadvantage when playing with opponents using these skins.
The all-black superhero skins are exactly what they sound like — completely black characters lacking any defining features, including hair, masks, or lights. This makes them look neat, but also makes them hard to spot in many environments — though, as some players have pointed out, it also makes them more obvious in certain locations.
The degree to which players are obfuscated by this skin has led many to claim it offers an unfair advantage and that it needs to be modified some way. This wouldn't be the first time Epic has had to tweak a skin — it previously had to add some debris to the green 'toy soldier' skin, which used to be all green and would blend in with the trees, grass, and bushes.
In all seriousness, this should be addressed sooner rather than later.
These 3 images show how difficult is to see the all-black superhero skins in Fortnite.
Remember, console players can't turn shadows off.
We trust Epic to do the right thing. Remember Toy Soldier & Deep Dab pic.twitter.com/izdLquiisb
— Fortnite News (@FortINTEL) January 7, 2021
Epic recently responded to calls for a change on Reddit, with one developer noting that Epic is 'looking into' the matter, according to Fortnite INTEL. It's unclear what changes may be made — based on similar past issues, it seems likely the skin will be modified in some way to make it more visible in shadows, such as adding lights or making the skin a bit brighter.
It's unclear how long it may take for this change to arrive, though given the implications for competitive gameplay, it seems likely that the modification will arrive sooner rather than later. The company recently announced its competitive plan for Fortnite season five, including LTM tournaments and FNCS.