Changes to Fortnite’s “Arena” mode in Season 6

A new competitive preseason will help Epic Games decide what remains in casual game modes.

For the past two years, the Arena playlist has been Fortnite’s main gateway to competitive gaming. It is used to gain access to prize money tournaments and is, to the frustration of many, the closest thing we have to a ranking mode.

Aside from an adjustment to the divisions and points system in August 2019, very little has changed since the Arena was launched in Chapter 1, Season 8. However, it appears that at least some minor modifications are on the way.

Previously, Arena Hype was reset to 0 at the beginning of each new season. For season 6, Epic confirmed that this will not happen immediately.

In a recent update on the status of the FNCS, they explained that a “competitive pre-season” will take place for a week, from 16 to 23 March. After this period, the points will be reset to normal.

The pre-season is intended to give players the opportunity to test out any new items, mechanics and game features that may be introduced, and to provide feedback to the developers.

It is currently unclear how exactly this feedback will be obtained. Potentially, Epic could open a dialogue with a select group of professionals and analysts, or they can simply use email or in-game research.

If performed correctly, this can help to avoid previous problems such as dominated Mythic loot and unnecessary AI characters making them competitive matches. Regardless, it is definitely a big step in the right direction.

In addition, at the beginning of the week, the @FNCompetitive The Twitter account announced that “Arena Duos is no longer available in the OCE region”. The post also stated that they would continue to offer Arena Solos and Trios “for now”.

While this may seem insignificant to those outside the OCE, it is a sign that developers are actively looking for ways to improve the experience at the Arena. Sure, it may just be an attempt to reduce queuing times, but that could lead to bigger changes in the future.

Much of the community agrees that the Arena is late for a complete rework. In the current system, an individual’s rank hardly reflects his true ability, and there is almost no incentive to play in the “proper competitive way”.

This idea of ​​a competitive preseason, coupled with increased transparency and communication, is an indication of Epic’s commitment to the scene. Perhaps that means that there is hope for fans who want more from Arena.

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