They did it. Fortnite Season 2 has given Team Rumble the update it deserves.
Epic Games finally gave the 20v20 mode a huge upgrade with the Chapter 2 Season 2 patch, and it feels pretty crazy and chaotic right now. It feels like…Fortnite. It’s super fun, but without any ridiculous items such as mechs or proximity grenades. A bunch of other good changes have been incorporated.
Here’s what a typical endgame looks like:
Add snipers, grenades, and remote explosives to this, and you have an accurate representation of the kind of weapons everyone will be having.
How Season 2 changed Team Rumble
If you haven’t played it at all, Team Rumble is a Fortnite PvP mode with two teams of 20 battling each other in a closed arena and trying to reach an elimination count. Being eliminated allows you to respawn, and no stats count for this mode. It is the most casual and chaotic mode in the game, and consistently makes for fun moments.
The recent changes in Team Rumble include:
- You start each match with 150/150/150 mats
- Gliders no longer take a slot
- Team elimination goal is 125
Moreover, the entire meta has changed because of changes to the loot pool.
All weapons are at blue or higher rarity
That’s right, grey and green weapons are out. Not only are you dealing more damage, you’re also finding a better variety of weapons when looting. And looting is so, so good right now. Season 1 was pretty stale when it came to looking for weapons, and it feels great to finally be using some of the Chapter 1 favorites again.
Miniguns, Suppressed ARs, Heavy ARs, Tactical ARs, and Suppressed Snipers are unvaulted. You’re never being killed by the same weapons repeatedly, and there is enough variety to keep the matches from getting monotonous.
Traps are gone and there’s a new item
You read that right. Traps, a Fortnite staple since 2017, have been vaulted, and this isn’t limited to Team Rumble. Bandages are out too, but let’s be honest, who used them?
There is a new throwable item called Creepin’ Cardboard, which regenerates itself in your inventory just like the Bandage Bazooka.
It is similar to the props from Season X’s Rift Zones, where you can crawl around as the item. However, these boxes are pretty underwhelming for hiding places since everyone knows about them, and it’s not so easy to fool people with them.
There is still one problem that needs to be addressed
The build spam is crazy. Every match ends with this disfigured Burj Khalifa in the middle of the circle that people keep adding to.
Vertical gameplay is fun, I’m not denying that. Lazy Lake and the OG Tilted Towers are great examples of vertical environments done right. It’s just tiresome when the tower has no specific design, and no limit to how complicated it can get. It’s fun when it’s just getting started, but what do you do when it gets so complex? Where do you land and how do you even navigate?
Bringing back the Junk Rift would be a great solution to this, if they could nerf how much damage it does to players.
This version of Team Rumble is still near-perfect
However, none of these concerns are a big issue. Team Rumble is a blast right now, and every change has been well-received by the community so far.
Because of the Glider change, you now have an extra slot, where you can stock up on shields or throwables. You’ll always be using powerful weapons in the game. Looting will rarely be unsatisfactory.
Fortnite: Season 2 is already looking pretty promising, and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for the rest of the season.
