The Infinity Blade has sparked an outcry from the competitive Fortnite scene when it was added only hours before the Winter Royale Finals. Epic has limited the blade's effectiveness a bit as a result.
The 7.01 update turned a lot of heads when it was revealed that the new item - the Infinity Blade - would be added to all modes instead of being relegated to a limited-time mode (LTM).
We saw virtually everyone speaking out about the negative impact of the new additions to the game ahead of Epic's $1 million Winter Royale finals, including the almost-always positive Ninja. Ninja, who even saw Epic's side of the patch that had rockets doing damage through structures, had this to say about the addition of the Infinity Blade and planes:
Epic didn't speak on the new changes for hours after the public outcry, with no clear plans to remove the blade for the grand finals this evening. Recently, though, a Community Coordinator for Epic Games took to Reddit to announce a change for the blade in the "Explorer Pop-Up Cup."
Explore Pop-Up Cup - Infinity Blade Changes from r/FortNiteBR
"We've fixed an issue that was causing the Infinity Blade to grant +100 HP on elimination in Explorer Pop-Up Cup, rather than +50 HP," the post said. "Eliminations with the Infinity Blade in the Explorer Pop-Up Cup will now only grant +50 HP."
The Winter Royale and the Pop-Up Cup use the same format, so this change will impact the Winter Royale finals tonight as well. The sword effectively doubles your HP and shield, which is why this mechanic worked the way it did in the first place.
You can still jump, build, and destroy buildings with the sword, however, so we don't expect to see too much of a change regarding the sword's strength in a competitive match.
With the grand finals only hours away, it looks like the sword will remain in play for the $1 million tournament tonight. Best of luck to all of the competitors rushing Polar Peaks for a chance at the ultimate prize.
Follow @fortnitetracker for more updates as they come.