Fortnite's Baller Blocks Storm Surge Damage And Players Aren't Happy

The Baller vehicle in Fortnite has been controversial since its arrival and a newly discovered "feature" isn't helping the matter. The issue isn't too big of deal in ordinary, casual gameplay, but is a serious matter in competitive matches, potentially giving some players an unfair advantage — and that's a big problem when large rewards are on the line.

Storm Surge is a relatively rare phenomenon in regular Fortnite battle royale matches, but it has eliminated more than a few players during competitive matches. The punitive feature exists to "motivate" players to engage with enemies and is intended as a method to prevent players from camping through the game.

If a certain minimum number of players are still alive by a specific end-game circle, Storm Surge activates and begins attacking the players with the lowest damage-dealt levels. Storm Surge zaps the player every five seconds, taking 25 health points with every hit. Depending on the player's health level, it may only take one or two zaps to eliminate them.

Though the amount of damage per zap has been criticized, Storm Surge itself is a generally accepted feature that keeps competitive games interesting. Players who have a Baller may be at an unfair advantage, however, because the vehicle appears to protect from damage. The issue was recently highlighted on Reddit, where a video clip was shared that showed someone in a ball being hit with Storm Surge zaps without suffering damage.

We'll likely see this protective (possibly unintentional) feature changed in the near future now that it has been publicized. However, the protection remains in effect at this time, removing the incentive for low-damage players to exit the vehicle in the late game.