[2020] Matchmaking, Bots, Controls, and The Combine Update

Heya folks,

It’s time for an update on some conversations we started last week: Fortnite Matchmaking and Bots, along with the new control settings and The Combine playlist. But in case you missed in the Patch Notes, we’ve got an important announcement to share regarding Season X.

Season “X-tension”

Season X has been extended one week to conclude on Sunday, October 13. This also means an additional week to complete your Battle Pass, so jump in and lock down all those Season X rewards!

In the meantime, we’ve implemented new changes. The 10.40.1 patch included key improvements to The Combine playlist and the Zone Wars Limited Time Mode. Drop in on the full Patch Notes here.

Update on our New Matchmaking System

So far, we've rolled out the new matchmaking system to select regions for Solo mode, and Duos is expected to arrive later this week.

With the rollout, we’ve seen a lot of discussion about potentially unfair competitive advantages from pooling players together across platforms and input devices. The new matchmaking system, however, accounts for various skill levels across different platforms and control inputs, and groups players of similar skill levels together.

Our goal with the new matchmaking system is to create fairer matches for all of our players, which includes special considerations for each platform. This means that where similar skill exists, players may be paired against opponents from ALL platforms — whether they’re using mouse + keyboard, a controller, or touch input. We are closely monitoring match analytics and your feedback, and we'll make adjustments to ensure everyone is playing a fair match.

On the topic of smurfing, we’ve seen discussion around players smurfing as a way to have easier matches. Smurfing is a bannable offense. We see a bunch of negative behavior that occurs with smurfing and issues with gameplay integrity. If we see consistent reports and perceive that you are negatively impacting other players’ experiences, we will take appropriate action.

 

Latest on Bots

As we’ve previously mentioned, we’re adding Bots as a way to help players improve their skill level. Before they’re added, we want to take the opportunity to answer some questions we’ve already seen pop up:

What happens with spectating if I am defeated by a Bot?
Instead of viewing the Bot that defeated you, you will view another remaining player. If you are the last remaining human player, the match will end.

Will I be able to party up with Bots? 
No, we’re not currently planning to support this functionality. You and your friends can still use The Robot Emote to dance together, however. :)

Can Bots use vehicles? Can Bots do 90s? 
Not yet, but long term we’re looking to see how far we can push our Bots.

Can I play a match entirely against Bots?
We’re looking into a “vs. Bot” mode as a means to sharpen your skills, explore the map, and help elevate your game to the next level.

What about Bots in Creative mode?
Bots will not be in Creative. This is something we will consider for our roadmap.

Updates on The Combine and the New Controller Settings

Last week, we saw plenty of discussion about our “Aim High” blog, which covered new changes to aiming with a controller, as well as the debut of our new game mode, The Combine. Combing through your questions and feedback, here’s more context:

Can I go back to legacy Sensitivity settings for my controller??
You have the option to revert back to previous controller sensitivity settings, but we strongly encourage everyone to give the new settings a try. If controls feel off, you can try copying over your legacy settings. To do this, navigate to "Controller Settings," turn on "Use Advanced Options," and scroll down to select "Copy Legacy Settings". If we make further adjustments or alter our plans, we will let you know.

Is there any news on control adjustments for keyboard and mouse players?
We know many of you are playing on keyboard and mouse, so we’re also discussing opportunities to improve control settings for all of you. As an example, we’re currently exploring an option that would allow KB/M players to adjust Build and Edit sensitivities.

How long will The Combine be available?
While The Combine was initially intended to help players adjust to our new aiming controls, we’ve already seen some amazing run-throughs and believe players will want to continue improving their skills and decreasing their times. As a result, we intend to keep The Combine as a core mode to Fortnite Battle Royale for the foreseeable future.

We’ll be closely following your feedback. Thanks for all the support!