SypherPK explains what the future could look like for Fortnite Zero Build tournaments

Content creators are loving Fortnite Zero Build, but some pros are worried that it’s getting a bit too much attention.

When Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 launched with building temporarily disabled, it took the gaming scene by storm. Having seen the overwhelmingly positive reaction, Epic quickly doubled down, adding a permanent Zero Build mode and starting to experiment with tournaments.

Now, as huge names like Tfue and Nickmercs call for a Zero Build FNCS, and competitive fans fear the fate of normal events and prize pools, everyone is desperate to find out the developer’s plans.

As one of the few major streamers who has stuck with Fortnite since the beginning, it’s interesting to hear how SypherPK feels about it all. He gave his thoughts in a recent YouTube video titled, “Epic Just SAVED Fortnite…”.

As you can guess from the title, Sypher, like many, believes that the addition of Fortnite Zero Build was a genius move by Epic Games. Despite being someone who can consistently dominate lobbies with building enabled, he has been mainly sticking to the new mode these past few weeks.

The numbers don’t lie. Fortnite’s Twitch viewership is the highest it’s been since Chapter 1, peaking above 1 million concurrent, and regularly holding above 4 or 500,000 for Zero Build Cups – even those without prizing!

So, what does Sypher anticipate for the future of Zero Build competition?

“I don’t think Epic will do a Fortnite Zero Build FNCS, but I do think they’ll have a major competitive tournament around Zero Build…they’ll probably name it something else” he stated. The Twitch and YouTube star added that, while he understands that existing comp players may be nervous, he doesn’t expect Epic to throw away everything they have been building for the last four years.

In a previous article, we discussed how no-building events could coexist with, and in fact elevate traditional Fortnite esports. Sypher shares a similar vision, talking about the potential for a World Cup with standard Solos and Duos events for example, with a separate Zero Build day on the side, perhaps featuring a smaller or charity prize pool.

If the popularity of Zero Build continues to drive viewership and attract new players to the game, it’s only natural that some of these people will end up crossing over to the normal public playlists, and then on to Arena and competitive.

Sypher did mention that, should we continue down this path, there are a couple of key changes that need to happen sooner rather than later. Fortnite has been designed with building at its core, and this creates a few problems when it is suddenly removed.

The map has a lot of open space with minimal cover, and currently we don’t have the loot to match. Shield Bubbles, Port-A-Forts, or new defensive utility items are necessary in order to reduce the number of moments of pure helplessness.

Especially with the blimps in the sky right now, a team can easily coordinate shots from highground and wipe you out in seconds. While planning rotations to avoid them is important, this isn’t always possible when the blimps provide sightlines across half the Island.

Rebooting could also use a rework in Zero Build, Sypher explained. When you can’t block yourself off with a wall, they can be almost a guaranteed death if someone is nearby. Reducing the Reboot timer is one option, although according to leaker @HYPEX, Epic may already be working on a “deployable Reboot item”.

Epic Games likely didn’t predict quite such a favourable response to Zero Build, and therefore will be making a lot of decisions on the fly. However, it certainly seems as though this new phenomenon is destined to become a massive focus for Fortnite going forward.