Fortnite's v9.21 patch has increased the drop rate of shields and shotguns in a clear attempt to appease its players.
When you land on Fortnite Island for the very first time, you might look different to everyone else, but you are technically on a level playing field. Whether you are about to play your tenth match or your 10,000th, you will have exactly the same as everyone else when you land on the map: an axe to harvest materials and 100 health.
As soon as you land, you are tasked with finding weapons and items that will help you outlast your rivals. There are a couple of basic things you hope to find right away: shields and shotguns. These allow you to double your health right away, and also give you a powerful, close combat weapon. Chances are a fair that few players will have landed nearby, so that'll come in handy.
Epic is clearly very aware that Fortnite players have a penchant for the game's shotguns. This is why it vaulted the Pump Shotgun recently, much to the chagrin of its fans. It turns out the popular weapon was responsible for 26% of all Fortnite eliminations, reports Polygon. Players rejoiced a few weeks later when the Combat Shotgun landed, however, Epic has now made that firearm increasingly difficult to find.
This week, via the v9.21 patch, Epic gave shotgun and shield fans a glimmer of hope. The drop rate of the items has been increased. The drop rate of regular Shield Potions has been increased by almost 1%, and Small Potions by 2%. Meanwhile, the drop rate of shotguns has been increased from 8.5% to 9.77%. It might not seem like much to the layman, but it is an acknowledgment by Epic that it is listening to its players.
Whether these recent increases will be enough to satisfy regular Fortnite players, time will tell. Epic has come under fire a lot this season for making changes that some have deemed to be not very player-friendly. With the game's first ever World Cup looming, the developers will want the balance between their vision for Fortnite and the players' desires to be just right.