Epic Games Plans to Matchmake Fortnite Players on PC by Peripherals
Among players of Fortnite Battle Royale on PC, there is one key difference; many play with controllers, while many others play using a keyboard and mouse. This issue has become more contentious in Fortnite’s competitive events, where some fans believe that a mouse and keyboard gives a distinct advantage. It seems that Epic Games has listened to the fans on this issue. They are planning to make changes to the game’s matchmaking as a result.
The Upcoming Fortnite PC Matchmaking Tech
Until now, Epic Games has maintained that using a mouse and keyboard doesn’t give players an actual advantage. Many members of Fortnite’s community have accused players of “cheating,” simply because they used a mouse and keyboard. Notably, the winner of the game’s last Summer Skirmish; idropz_bodies, was accused of just that. In fact, Epic Games confirmed that he actually used a controller, and subsequently clarified that he would have been within rules to use a mouse and keyboard regardless. Clearly, for many, it is a bit of a sore spot.
However, the studio seems to have revised their opinion. (Or else they are simply tired of players complaining about the perceived issue.) A community manager for the studio recently posted on Reddit to address the problem. “We’re actually working on some matchmaking tech,” they explained; “on the way, that’ll pair you against folks based on your choice of peripherals. More info on this coming next week, but tl:dr if you’re on KB+M you’ll be against KB+M.”
Fortnite fans should keep an eye out for further announcements coming from Epic Games next week, it seems. If the studio is willing to finally address this concern, they may consider similar situations on other platforms. For example, the game’s iOS version suffers from a similar problem; when players using a gamepad peripheral match with players using touch controls. It remains to be seen if that will be addressed. Indeed, it’s likely to be treated as a much lower priority issue by Epic Games.