Epic Games has made a strange change to Fortnite this week, and it’s causing some irritation for players. The game’s Item Shop timer was mysteriously removed, which made many players assume it was caused by a glitch. The timer would count down to the next rotation, allowing users to see exactly how much time they had to make a purchase. In a reply to a user on Twitter, Epic Games has now confirmed that the change was an intentional one, and has directed them to check the info button at the bottom. That section now says that the Item Shop “usually” refreshes at 7 p.m. ET.ย
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The response from the official Fortnite Status Twitter account was shared by @ShiinaBR, and can be found in the Tweet embedded below.ย
Why Did Fortnite Remove the Timer?
The Tweet from Epic Games confirms that the change was intentional, but it doesn’t offer any explanation as to why it was made in the first place. Some are speculating that, by removing the timer, it could result in players making more impulse purchases. The logic being that users might be worried that the avatar item will be gone the next time they check the Item Shop. On one hand, this isn’t that a big a deal, provided that Epic Games can stick to a set schedule; however, the use of “usually” has some people worried. If the company decides to randomly change things up, that could really throw people off! At the end of the day, this is a quality of life change that’s for the worse, and there was no reason to remove a helpful feature.ย
For now, the timer is gone, and players will have to keep a close eye on any skins they plan to purchase. It’s possible Epic Games could go back on this change; it wouldn’t be the first time the company pivoted after players made their voices heard. Back in November, the company announced a change where all islands were given age ratings. As a result, certain Item Shop purchases could no longer be used for all experiences in the game. After fans made their voices heard, Epic Games announced a change that will make it so that the appearance of age-restricted skins auto adjusts based on the island.ย
Fortnite Changes
Change for the sake of change has become something of a trend for Fortnite this season. The timer change is just the latest example; this season also saw a change to the user interface for lockers, which was also met with pushback. Changes like the locker UI and the timer don’t have any impact on the actual gameplay, but they have made for a less pleasant experience, and a lot of little things can add up over time. Hopefully Epic Games can focus less on making alterations like this and more on the type of changes players have been asking for!ย
Are you frustrated by this Fortnite change? Why do you think it was made? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Fortnite News, ShiinaBR]
