The Kinetic Blade has finally rejoined the loot pool in Fortnite, but a mixed response met its return because of a new feature attached to it.
Players last saw the Kinetic Blade roughly two years ago in Chapter 4. During its time in Fortnite, the melee weapon became a fan-favorite item because it let users travel long distances before unleashing powerful strikes on foes.
Fortunately, long-time players can now relive those glory days thanks to Epic Games unvaulting the blade for a Chapter 6 Season 1 update.
But the weapon’s addition of a durability feature has caught fans off guard, with some saying the change “feels dirty.”
Fortnite Kinetic Blade finally returns with a catch
Mobility-based melee weapons like the Typhoon Blade feature durability counters, which only allow the item to be used a certain number of times.
Upon its return, the Kinetic Blade received the same limitation, so wielders can utilize the blade 20 times before it breaks down.
One player in the Fortnite subreddit has argued, “[the] Kinetic blade with 20 uses is NOT [the] kinetic blade!” The Redditor believes the change allows developers to preemptively avoid complaints from players who think “everything is OP.”
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Several other users have said they feel the same. One person replied, “Bro. I wish the kinetic blade and the mythic typhoon blade didn’t have durability. Durability is 10000% the worst thing in the game.”
“Man that makes it almost useless,” someone else commented.
Not everyone is on the same page, though. Many argue that since mobility weapons often feel OP, limiting their usage has become necessary for balance purposes.
Several long-time Fortnite players recalled the frustrations of chasing after Kinetic Blade spammers in Chapter 4 Season 2 who refused to fight back. “I’m glad they added a limit to it,” said one fan.
“Can we normalize not having infinite mobility items? Cus I’m all for this,” added another person.
It’ll be interesting to see how the blade fares in terms of popularity as Season 1 presses on.
