Fortnite Battle Royale competition would be moving from the standard trios format to a four-player mode during Epic’s September 22 stream following the conclusion of Season X’s final series.
“For you trios out there, you better find yourself a fourth, because the next round of FNCS competition will be squads,” broadcast host Zeke ‘Zekimus’ Mateus revealed as the Championship Series broadcast wrapped up.
The squad-composition change comes after Season X ran for five weeks and into finals with Fortnite’s standard trios system.
A host of Twitch stars like Turner ‘Tfue’ Tenney, Dennis ‘Cloak’ Lepore, and Thomas ‘72hrs’ Mulligan competed in the early weeks of the tournament, though that high-profile trio went their separate ways ahead of the finals due to an ongoing feud over $140,000 in ad revenue.
Zexrow, MackWood, and yung calculator were crowned North American East champions, while Tschiinken, Stompy, and aqua emerged victorious in the European grand final. Overall, there were seven trios that claimed the title of regional champions this week.
Some FNCS players also clearly already knew about Epic’s impending change. World Cup solos champion Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf proved he was one ‘in the know’ player, announcing who would be making up his four-player squad for next season minutes after the official reveal.
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Bugha confirmed he would be competing alongside Williams ‘Zayt’ Aubin, Rocco ‘Saf’ Morales, and new recruit Stretched, all of whom have been streaming Epic’s battle royale title alongside the Fortnite star in recent weeks.
Announcing my squad as @Zayt @GhostSaf @Stretched
— SEN Bugha (@bugha) September 23, 2019
The reaction to Epic’s bombshell announcement was mixed across social media, with many expressing their concerns over the mayhem that four-player teams will bring, as well as the server stress that may eventuate from the added squad players.
“You could just tell from watching the trios this weekend how laggy it was, and that’ll be a lot worse in squads,” one fan on Reddit said. “To be honest I just enjoyed watching Duos a lot more than Trios, can’t see why I’d feel any different with squads.”
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however, with some players excited by the changing format next season. “That’s actually fire,” one said, while others began formulating team compositions they’d love to see: “OG Liquid please.”
Whether or not fans are keen on the change, it should lead to some interesting new team compositions in the near future, as well as a healthy helping of exciting chaos in the FNCS broadcasts – exactly what Epic is likely looking for to keep their competitive scene fresh.
