ESTNN provides a wish list of features we’d like to see in Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 8.
Only a few days stand between Fortnite Battle Royale players and the next game-altering update. Season 7 was objectively a lot of fun, and Epic Games utilized the alien-themed environment to bring Fortnite back to its roots. While the developers do not release new items and updates as often, Chapter 2 – Season 7 introduced new shiny tools and unassuming spots on the map.
We could reminisce about Season 7 for quite some time, but it’s time to get down to brass tax. Chapter 2 – Season 8 is on the horizon, and Epic Games announced a live event to transition players into the next phase of Fortnite. The event will occur on Sunday, September 12, and the new season will most likely launch on September 14.
That means Fortnite players are on the precipice of another exciting experience. While we don’t know what to expect from Epic, it’s certainly not too late to compile a list of features and items we wish to see in Chapter 2 – Season 8. So let’s get down to it.
More Locations Named Points of Interest (POIs)
If Fortnite Chapter 2 has taught us anything—it’s that the map is barren in some spots. Epic Games has done a complete 180 since Season X, where there were almost too many locations. The new map features excellent areas such as Misty Meadows, Lazy Lake and Dirty Docks, but competitive and casual players would agree that Battle Royale mode could use a more robust landscape.
Chapter 2 – Season 2 was perhaps the best in terms of diverse landing spots. Players had The Grotto, The Rig, The Yacht, The Agency and The Shark, which deviated from the usual landmark points of interest (POIs). Map changes have been minimal at best of late. We’d love to see more unique locations a la Chapter 2 – Season 2 because, quite frankly, the map needs an expansion.
Remove Launch Pads, Add Bouncers & Keep Inflate-A-Bulls
Epic brought back the Launch Pad in Season 7, and it was refreshing to have back in the game. This item helps evade storm damage, again the height advantage and allows players to throw caution to the wind and land on unsuspecting opponents. Launch Pads are a great addition to the game. That being said, the item should sit Season 8 out. It’s the sort of mobility option that’s good in small doses but can also be rather annoying when another player spams them to run away or when you lose the height advantage in an instant.
One item we’d like to see return is Bouncers. Bouncers are perhaps the most balanced of all mobility items—not overly powerful, but a decent player can use them wisely. They last appeared in Season 6, and most were sad to see them exit the game. On that same topic, Inflate-A-Bulls should stick around in Season 8. This bouncing balloon mobility item is fun to use and equally balanced.
100% Chest Spawns
A request that’s been long-standing in the Fortnite scene is the return of guaranteed Chest spawn. For a brief moment in time, players could land on any house in the game and have confidence that at least one Chest would spawn. However, that’s not the case anymore.
A few seasons back, Epic made the controversial choice to reduce Chest spawns across the board. Fortnite has not felt the same since. The added randomness of not knowing whether a chest would spawn or not negatively affected the experience of playing. The developers seem to tinker with the current drop rate, but it’s not not 100%.
Players have been longing for more reliable chest spawns to improve the overall enjoyment of Fortnite. Fingers crossed that next season will be one.
More Unique Concepts, Less Collaborations
Our subsequent request comes from the standpoint of over saturation, and this one follows that same perspective. It’s no secret that Fortnite was and is one of the world’s most popular games. Epic Games has raked in billions due to its success, and that same success has created more opportunities for the developers. As a result, Epic has been able to secure lucrative collaborations with nearly everything you could fathom.
Master Chief, Kratos, Lara Croft, Rick & Morty, Venom, Ant-Man, Terminator and Predator all entered into the world of Fortnite recently. While these crossovers excited the Fortnite fandom, there have been much more of late. Now, it seems that Fortnite fans see another crossover once a week. The countless collaborations have stolen the shine away from the game’s original concepts.
Epic Games and other third-party designers have done a great job creating entirely new characters for all to enjoy. Those ideas occasionally get lost in the shuffle of the latest Marvel Comics or DC character. Last season’s wish list had us requesting more collaborations, but there seem to be far too many nowadays. Hopefully, Epic keeps the crossover coming in Season 8 but maybe dials it back a bit. That small change could make the next significant collaboration even better.
Crowd-Funded Tournament Prize Pools
The final wish of our Chapter 2 – Season 8 wish list comes from the perspective of a competitive Fortnite fan. Since the first-ever Fortnite World Cup in 2019, the game’s tournament prize pools have fluctuated quite often. To call them low would be an incorrect statement, considering these players are competing for millions of dollars every season. However, prize money became a massive influence on Fortnite’s competitive scene from the beginning.
Epic’s approach from the outset was unsustainable, and that sentiment caused the developers to readjust its investment in competitive Fortnite as needed. It’s understandable—mainly because tournaments are where Epic makes its money. Most of that profit comes from in-game transactions such as the seasonal Battle Pass or the many items available in each nightly Item Shop.
Epic’s seemingly reasonable solution could be to take a page out of Dota 2’s playbook and allow crowd-funded prize pools. The developers could take the profits from one seasonal FNCS skin and allocate that toward the following season’s prize pool. There might be more behind the scenes that would make this challenging, but it would bring back the allure of Fortnite prize pools that seems to be absent.
We’ll ultimately have to wait and see what Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 8 will include. The new season is tentatively due to launch on September 14.