Fortnite players aren’t happy about the removal of the Kinetic Blade, a change that comes just as Chapter 4 Season 2 is coming to an end.
Epic Games introduced the Kinetic Blade at the start of Season 2, offering access to a sword melee weapon that can deal a good chunk of damage. It didn’t take long for players to discover an exploit that gave an unfair advantage to those who wielded the katana in battle.
After completing a series of steps, which partially involved disconnecting and reconnecting wifi, users who took advantage of the glitch could eliminate opponents in an instant without the other person knowing what was going on.
To combat the game-breaking issue, Epic started temporarily banning anyone who employed the exploit in-game. The studio eventually adopted more drastic measures by removing the katana from Fortnite in its entirety.
Fortnite fans lament the vaulting of Season 2’s Kinetic Blade
On March 24, Epic vaulted the katana across all Battle Royale playlists, making the weapon unavailable throughout the remainder of Chapter 4 Season 2.
Players aren’t too happy about this turn of events, especially since this marks the second season in a row where the exclusive mobility weapon had to sit out the end of its run.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
One person wrote on Twitter in response to the removal announcement, “2nd straight season where the mobility melee item gets vaulted early after 3,000 different bugs.”
Similar comments pervade a Reddit thread on the matter. Said one Redditor, “They took the hammer early last season, and now the katana. Why must the season-exclusive mobility be removed in the last few weeks of the season?”
Suffice it to say, some are frustrated by the news. “Oh ffs what a joke. What a disastrous way to end a season,” reads a reply on Reddit.
Meanwhile, other Fortnite players can’t help but wonder why this keeps happening. One confused user wrote the following: “They need to hire more devs. Something is seriously wrong at Epic Games right now. There is no excuse for this happening 2 seasons in a row.”
Of course, troubles with the Kinetic Blade won’t slow Fortnite’s momentum. Chapter 4 Season 2 will conclude on June 9, with Season 3 following not too long thereafter. While Epic has yet to confirm concrete details, leaks point to the new season adding a desert and/or jungle biome.