Fortnite Reload is so good that players are abandoning standard BR modes

Fortnite Reload is driving players away from battle royale in droves as player count drops to the lowest it’s ever been in the last year.

The OG-inspired mode has overtaken all other Fortnite game modes regarding player count, but players are now slowly but surely ditching the Battle Royale. For the first time since player numbers were made available to the public in March 2023, Battle Royale has hit an all-time player count low at just 188,000 players.

While just over 150,000 players might sound impressive, these numbers are worrisome when compared to the typical daily player count for Battle Royale. On a good day, Battle Royale can reach up to half a million players but typically sits at a minimum of 200k. 

However, with the introduction of Fortnite Reload and the addition of duo queue, it’s evident what the Fortnite player base prefers. Fortnite Reload aims to recapture Chapter 1 and 2’s glory days with old-school weapons and locations, and it’s succeeding.

Upon learning about the record-low player count in Battle Royale, the gaming community on X was quick to voice their opinions. Fortnite players don’t believe the normal BR mode is being abandoned just because Reload is a must-play mode.

“Honestly, Reload is just a big breath of fresh air that brings fast-paced gameplay with the OG Fortnite charm. Regular BR was fun at the season’s start, but everything got nerfed to the ground so now it’s just uninteresting,” explained one commenter. 

Multiple other comments pointed to the nerfs that Fortnite dished out to make Season 3 more balanced. The vehicle mod meta brought more counters, such as Nitro Fists and Boogie Bombs. But, now that the season is closing in on the halfway point, player interest is dying down.