Why a permanent “No-Building” mode could save Fortnite esports

We could be at a turning point in Fortnite’s trajectory. One that assures its dominance for many years to come.

Fortnite Chapter 3’s long-awaited second season launched last weekend, with the developers shocking everyone by fully disabling building in public matches. With all the attention on social media and insane Twitch viewership, it truly feels like we’re back in 2018!

Though the “No-Building” mode was originally only meant to last for nine days, leaks suggest that following this unprecedented success, Epic Games is already looking to make something more permanent.

This has led to questions from both inside and outside the competitive community, as to the future of Fortnite esports. We’ve already seen one no-building Cup, should there be more? Could this become the main mode for tournaments?

In my eyes, the highest tier of Fortnite competition will always include building. Epic accidentally created one of the most mechanically complex, highest skill games ever, and new features like Sliding and Mantling continue to push this ceiling further, it would be a tragedy to throw this away.

However, this high skill ceiling is a double-edged sword, and with it comes a mountainous barrier to entry. No-Building mode can address this, and in fact help to simultaneously elevate the competitive scene.

For a number of reasons, we’ve never seen comp Fortnite hit anywhere near its full potential. Not having a proper ranked playlist is largely responsible for this, as is the absence of LANs due to Covid and lack of org support, among other things.

One of the biggest problems though has always been controversy over the meta. Whether it be an overpowered new weapon, or gimmicks like Taco Time in Chapter 1, many of the items and unique gameplay elements that keep Fortnite fresh and fun for casual players become a nightmare in a competitive setting.

In the past, Epic has been reluctant to remove certain items or features from competitive, or have them work differently than in standard playlists, over fears that it would be too confusing for casual viewers.

If “No-Building” became the flagship mode for public matches, it could be an opportunity to finally disentangle these two sides of the game and make it easy for everyone to understand:

You can play the normal mode, with no building, all the whacky updates, and a more relaxed, OG Fortnite vibe. Or you can hop into ranked, where building and Siphon are enabled, the loot pool is way more streamlined, and every placement counts.

As for “No-Building” tournaments, they could also be a massive win for the competitive ecosystem. They don’t need to replace the events we’re used to, they can go hand in hand.

Imagine before the next Fortnite World Cup, a No-Building Pro-AM, with top streamers like Ninja and Nickmercs, paired with celebrities. There would be a lot of eyeballs on this right?

Well throughout the broadcast, they could have little packages discussing ranked mode… interviews with pros, get you excited to tune in for the main event and ready to try it yourself!

And with a good ranked mode, you wouldn’t go in and just get instantly fed up with the sweaty builders. You’d be placed against people of a similar skill level, and could work your way up, or even enjoy chilling at the lowest rank as the lobbies would still feel fair.

Why would Epic bother using “casual” tournaments to promote ranked mode? While it’s easy to be blinded by the hype right now, time and time again we’ve seen wildly popular games suddenly burn out and disappear. A well refined competitive system with a dedicated community will keep them around for decades, just look at Counter Strike.

For the last couple of years, there has been a constant battle between casual and competitive fans, a battle with no winners. This could finally be a chance to make everyone happy, and cement Fortnite’s future as one of the leading titles in both gaming and esports.