Fortnite players are dissatisfied with the game’s new age rating changes
Epic Games has revealed that all islands will now have age and content ratings, which is a significant change to Fortnite. The change was made “to help parents and players make informed play decisions about the thousands of games and other experiences in Fortnite,” according to the announcement. Furthermore, some cosmetics will no longer be usable on any islands with a rating lower than “Teen.” According to Epic Games, players will now see a new icon in their Lockers and the Item Shop indicating which items meet that requirement.
The Cosmetic Changes in Fortnite and Why People Are Frustrated
Epic Games stated in the initial announcement that “if a player equips one of these items and joins an island with a rating lower than the designated rating threshold, their equipped item will appear as an item compatible with the island’s rating.” Unsurprisingly, this change sparked a great deal of debate. Many Fortnite players expressed their displeasure that items they had previously purchased in the game would now be barred from certain islands. The reality is that players spend a lot of V-Bucks to obtain these cosmetics, and none of these restrictions were disclosed to them at the time they spent their money.
Fortnite players began venting their rage on Twitter with the hashtag #RevertTheUpdate. Many players even sent direct messages to Tim Sweeney’s personal Twitter account. Epic Games’ CEO is frequently outspoken on social media, but he appeared to avoid directly commenting on the situation. It remains to be seen how things unfold, but some players have expressed reservations about purchasing any additional cosmetics in the future. Ironically, many fans expressed their delight at the start of this new chapter, only for the game to make one of its most contentious decisions.
Epic Games Responded
While Tim Sweeney has yet to comment, Epic Games issued a new statement just a few hours after the initial announcement. This one appears to be attempting damage control, as it minimizes the number of cosmetics that will be barred from islands and modes rated “E” or “E10+.” Epic Games also stated that changes will be implemented in 2024, which may make things more appealing to players.
“Today, about 7% of Fortnite Outfits can only be equipped in islands rated Teen (or regional equivalent). Over the next year we will enable most of these Outfits to be compatible with all ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the island you want to play.”
The statement above was made on the official Fortnite Twitter account. The reaction has been somewhat better, but it remains to be seen how long it will take for these changes to be implemented. Fans will have to wait and see how things progress from here for the time being!