Looking back on the C3:S1 FNCS, a disappointing start to competitive Fortnite in Chapter 3?

And in a flash, it was over. After a few short weeks, the first FNCS of Fortnite Chapter 3 concluded on Sunday, and now feels like the perfect time to reflect on this past season of competition. This article isn’t all about negatives, but I want to get all the concerns out the way up front so we can finish on a high note.

From the day it was announced, the condensed FNCS format was a mystery to many. Epic is still yet to offer any insight into the decision to run just one weekend of Qualifiers, but there were certainly a number of issues with it.

For players, there was almost no room for error. You could afford minimal bad games across the various Qualifier rounds, and if you were ill, had internet problems, or simply had a rough couple of days, that was your FNCS over.

Then there was the lack of hype. Things felt rushed, and while there were definitely plenty of exciting moments, the overall event was way less captivating than in previous seasons. It is worth noting however, that most people agree that this was the best Semi Finals system we have ever had.

The only ones who did prefer this shorter format were certain casual fans, who found it easier to follow and stay interested in. Though it’s fair to argue that Fortnite as a whole should be geared towards this community as they make up the vast majority of the playerbase, a premium competitive tournament such as the FNCS should be built with competitive players in mind.

This age-old debate between casual and competitive leads us nicely onto the current meta. Pros have made it no secret that they hate the way the game feels so far in Chapter 3. We’ve seen it push legends like Saf into retirement, daily tweets of genuine disbelief, and others just writing it off and waiting till next season.

What’s hard is that we went from potentially the most competitive meta of all time in C2:S8, to one of the worst to date. The small nerfs to Stinger SMG damage made very little difference to gameplay, and even with its uses reduced drastically, the lack of audio on enemies using Spider-Man’s Web-Shooters led to countless unpreventable eliminations.

With all that said, the season has undoubtedly been a hit with new and returning players, as well as content creators. Ninja, who returned to Fortnite after a long spell away posted recently to say, “Fortnite is such in a good place right now I love it”.

It feels as though the only logical way to please both camps may be to take splitting loot pools even further, and have guns like the Stinger behave completely differently in competitive playlists, or remove them all together. The issue is, if they took unique items like the Web Shooters out of Arena, people would complain that it’s too boring. For a fully competitive loot pool to work, you also need a proper ranked mode.

I think the thing that’s most disappointing for the comp community is that Epic came so far in 2021. There were consistent, visible improvements, from the fixed game mode, to increased transparency, the inclusion of Late Game Arena and much more.

Right now it seems a little like that’s all gone out the window. Hopefully, the focus has been on the smooth launch of Chapter 3, and from next season we will get back on track.

On a more positive note, the partnership with BLAST on the official broadcast has been a huge success. The production was top quality and the fun segments and interviews with pros really added some extra depth.

They could still take this further though, and we may be heading in that direction. After Finals, Become Legends Founder and CEO Renato Mahmutagic put out an open invitation to Epic Games to discuss the future of Fortnite competitive, org involvement and live streams.

Reno has since confirmed that “someone high up” has been in touch, which could be super promising. Up until now, Fortnite has done very little for orgs in comparison to other esports, which has held the scene back as a whole.

If they are open to some of the suggestions that come up in these conversations, and incorporate more owners and core competitive figures into the dialogue going forward, it could be game changing. From content opportunities to in-game integrations, the possibilities are endless, and could be mutually beneficial for all involved.

As for the C3:S1 FNCS itself, we had a few awesome stories come out of it. Bugha and Mero have now won three Finals on the bounce, showing that the World Cup Champion is still at his peak, and establishing his duo as the undeniable greatest controller player on the planet.

Across the pond, the Pickaxe of Champions went to two of the most deserving people in Europe. Hen and Queasy put on a show for their supporters, yet despite being a two-time FNCS winner, Queasy is still a free agent.

Most inspiring however was how, despite having his life turned upside down by Putin’s invasion on Ukraine, Stormyrite and his Russian teammate Kiryache pulled off a stunning second place performance. Make sure to go and check out Stormyrite’s highlight video on YouTube.

There’s a lot riding on next season. Many players have high expectations, and another poor competitive meta could be the breaking point. With Daily Duos Cups, a fresh loot pool, and with any luck, some nice surprises on the horizon, this could be a good one!