Game-changing new Scrim system coming to Fortnite

Epic will begin testing the new scrim system on EU servers next week.

To compete at the highest level, you must also train at the highest level. The purpose of scrimmages, or scrims, is to simulate real tournament conditions as accurately as possible, giving players a way to gain experience and work on strategies.

Until now, Fortnite pros and amateurs alike have had to rely on third-party Discord servers to coordinate scrims, using custom-matchmaking to host games. This has occasionally led to concerns over the “gatekeeping” of practice in NA, while in Europe the scrim scene has been almost non-existent, at least at the upper tier.

Well, that may be about to change. With Season 6 FNCS roaring into action this weekend, Epic Games has revealed that they will soon be trialing a new in-game scrim system.

Open and Aura Trio Scrims come as part of the developer’s efforts to “explore ways to provide a more competitive environment for high-end players outside of Arena”. The test event begins on April 27 and will initially be exclusive to the EU region.

How does it work?

Players will be split into two separate pools based on their performance in the most recent FNCS:

• Aura Scrims – Top 500 teams from Chapter 2 Season 5 FNCS Series Points
• Open Scrims – Arena Division 3+

The test period is planned to last for around fourteen days and will include three sessions per week. Each week, the top Trios from Open Scrims will be promoted to Aura Scrims, and vice versa the weakest teams in Aura will be relegated.

It is rumored that the Fortnite Professional Players Association (FNPPA), founded back in October 2019, is behind the announcement. The FNPPA remains largely quiet on its dialogue with Epic, but may well have had a say towards many of the positive changes we have seen so far this year.

While the community almost unanimously agrees that this scrim system is a good idea, some fear that the test is doomed to fail. With no prizes or official results on the line, there are worries that people are not incentivized to play to the best of their ability, and that matches could end up looking no different to normal Arena games.

I have faith this could work ; but discord ecosystems are superior because of the hard moderation that can go into making the players / lobbies try Hard ??

Incentives will be what makes this work out

— MonsterDface (@MonsterDface) April 22, 2021

Others argue however, that existing and aspiring pros should not need an incentive to take scrims seriously and should instead be motivated by their own drive to improve. Regardless, the general feeling is one of optimism that we are finally moving in the right direction.

If executed correctly, this could completely revolutionize competitive Fortnite practice, making it easier and more accessible for all. Following a successful test event, we would hopefully see the scrim system introduced in other regions, eventually becoming a permanent feature.