Over the course of the past few weeks, Fortnite has seen a steady decline on streaming sites. Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, etc. – the numbers for Fortnite viewership have dropped quite significantly. While this has something to do with the revitalization of Minecraft, there’s no doubt that fewer and fewer people are watching Fortnite. This is, in part, because not as many streamers are playing the game anymore due to Epic Games’ stubbornness.
[irp posts=”28589″ name=”Fortnite’s new B.R.U.T.E. vehicle incites outrage from the community”]
Without a doubt, Fortnite Season X is the game’s most controversial season. The support for the B.R.U.T.E. is merely too much for high-profile streamers to handle. The Mech makes the game unenjoyable, and non-professional streamers simply aren’t playing Fortnite because of it. With this turn of events, will Epic Games come to see reason and make a change?
Fortnite viewership numbers take a tumble
Before and at the start of Season X, Fortnite would average around 150,000-200,000 viewers on Twitch. Twitch is where a majority of the community goes to watch Fortnite, so we’ll use that site as an example.
Normally, Fortnite would have more viewers than all of the titles in the image above. However, until the game is cleaned up, many top streamers won’t be playing anytime soon.
While the viewership numbers remain high in comparison to other titles, they aren’t nearly as high as they once were. Maybe part of it is viewers don’t find enjoyment in watching streamers get demolished by B.R.U.T.E.s in game after game.
However, some viewers don’t have the chance to watch Fortnite anymore, as many top Twitch streamers have switched games. DrLupo, Timthetatman, ImMarksman, FaZe Thiefs, and many more are now dabbling in games like Minecraft, Overwatch, and CS:GO instead. Here’s a tweet from Timthetatman to sum this up perfectly:
I love @FortniteGame but these choices with the mech boggle my mind. Hope that some balance is found soon… hard to enjoy the game at the moment.
— timthetatman👑 (@timthetatman) August 15, 2019
Streamers like Ninja, Tfue, and NICKMERCS are continuing to play the game simply for competitive reasons. Without these channels, Fortnite‘s viewership numbers would be closer to 50,000.
Will Epic Games change course?
So far, Epic Games has supported the addition of the B.R.U.T.E. to the fullest. Claiming its place in the game is to help lower skill level players win, they won’t be vaulting the Mech this season.
However, one thing they could do is nerf the vehicle or add something counter it. This would make many streamers and players want to play again. A nerf could be as simple as lowering the Mech’s missile count or damage. A counter could be something like u/YourBoyChipsAhoy___ suggested on Reddit.
[Suggestion] EMP – Disables all nearby vehicles for 45 seconds. from FortNiteBR
If Epic Games doesn’t take some kind of action, the numbers will continue to drop for Fortnite‘s viewership. The recent boom of Minecraft will make sure of that.
What do you think Epic Games should do? Let us know in the comments below. Stay tuned to Daily Esports for all Fortnite coverage.
Published: Aug 20, 2019 11:30 am