'Fortnite' Players Have Mixed Opinions About This Rocket Launcher 'Exploit'

Fortnite players seem to have mixed opinions about a mechanic that allows for rapid Rocket [...]

Fortnite players seem to have mixed opinions about a mechanic that allows for rapid Rocket Launcher reloads, a tactic that some players are referring to as an exploit instead of an advanced maneuver.

The mechanic in question allows players to reload their RPGs faster than normal so shoot off the next rocket in a shorter time than it'd usually take to unload the next one on opponents and their structures. Redditor and Fortnite players Crates of Wrath shared a video of the tactic that they referred to as an exploit, the video first showing the player's perspective, then the opponent's, and finally a side-by-side comparison of what the normal RPG reload time looks like compared to the questionable reload time the other player benefitted from.

The video shows a scene that many Fortnite players are likely familiar with: RPGs rain down on your defenses while you're trying to chug a potion to get your shield back. However, the rockets kept coming in at greater speeds than normal, or at least that's what it felt like. The post-game replay proved that his was the case with the side-by-side comparison leaving no doubt that one player was indeed shooting their RPGs faster than the other. From that perspective, it certainly looks like it might be an exploit, and many other players within the subreddit commented to say that the so-called exploiter had an unfair advantage. Many, including the creator of the post, called for Epic Games to patch out the exploit.

Epic: Please Remove this RPG Reload Exploit (Read My Comment Below)(This Post Does not Teach How to do it) from r/FortNiteBR

Others weren't entirely convinced that this was an exploit though. If you're a veteran of competitive games like shooters, MOBAs, and other genres, you might even be aware of what's going on in the video and use it yourself. As Crates of Wrath and others pointed out, the player is using an animation cancel to cut off the end of the reload animation and go straight to firing the next rocket. By sprinting right as the ammo counter shows that the next rocket is loaded, the player in the video could skip the rest of the animation that was no longer necessary. The comparison video shows how much time this shaves off of the wait between rockets, something that can make a huge difference in end-game build-offs.

It doesn't appear that the tactic is limited to RPGs either with players reporting that it's possible to do the same thing with other weapons, though the mechanic makes the RPG and even stronger end-game weapon than it already is. While players call for the "exploit" to be patched out, just as many point out that it's a learnable mechanic that's been found in all sorts of games. Call of Duty players have been able to sprint at the end of a reload animation to save time all throughout the series, and even other games like League of Legends feature some way to cancel an unnecessary animation by inputting a different command at the right moment.

Epic Games didn't comment on the so-called exploit within the Reddit thread, so it remains to be seen what the developer's official stance on animation cancelling in Fortnite is.

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