Five things everyone loved that got removed from Fortnite

In a game famous for its regular updates, it’s not surprising that Fortnite has changed so much over the years. We’ve seen countless weapons and skins, mind-blowing collaborations and even three totally different maps.

While it can be disappointing to say goodbye to your favorite item, we all understand that keeping the loot pool fresh is important. However, Epic has got rid of several features that were seemingly unanimously popular.

“Recent” Locker Tab

This tab allowed players to quickly find any recently received cosmetics without needing to scroll through everything else, but disappeared when the Locker Screen UI was revamped ahead of Chapter 3. A real nightmare for clean freaks like me who need to clear up all the “new item notification” symbols straight away.

A similar option is available in the updated settings, though it now takes multiple clicks to get to. For controller users especially this has needlessly made the whole process much slower.

Stretched Resolution

Before the Fortnite World Cup, a lot of people used stretched resolution to increase field-of-view, make character models appear larger, and boost performance. Epic then removed the ability to alter resolution in the game files and locked the aspect ratio to 16:9 in tournament playlists.

One reason behind the decision was that they didn’t want to harm the viewing experience. They also mentioned concerns over players’ health, a point that became a meme among pros following last season’s Grand Royale event, which saw some competitors complete 32 gruelling matches in just two days.

Arena Fill

Solos can get boring. A lot of people prefer Arena to pubs but don’t have anyone to play with. Having been one of the most highly requested features for a long time, Epic finally added an “Arena Fill” option in Chapter 2 Season 8.

bro remember how fun late game arena and arena fill were ??

— Jerian (@itsJerian) January 12, 2022

Unfortunately this was only a trial run and it was removed after about a week. Though there were issues with teammates leaving matches without penalty, Arena Fill was very well received overall. Fingers crossed this is still being worked on and will return soon.

The Block

For the last three seasons of Chapter 1, The Block made for one of the most exciting POIs in Fortnite history. The area would be regularly updated with designs built by community members inside Creative mode.

It was always fun to check back here to find a totally different location every couple of weeks. Of course the Island is constantly evolving, but it would be nice to see a similar concept at some point in Chapter 3.

Siphon in Pubs

Now exclusive to competitive playlists, the Siphon mechanic grants players health and materials upon eliminating an enemy. For a brief period in Chapter 1, it was also present in public matches before Epic controversially removed it over worries that it encouraged an aggressive playstyle.

This would be perfect with siphon! :D

— Ninja (@Ninja) April 5, 2019

Realistically though, aggressive players will push everyone in sight regardless. Siphon is actually more useful defensively, when you win a fight and are instantly attacked by a third-party. Many Siphon advocates argue that if there is no Siphon, there should be no skill-based matchmaking.