Boogie Bombs Do Not Belong In Competitive Fortnite

Boogie Bombs are a problem in Chapter 2 – Season 4.

The competitive Fortnite season is now underway after the first round of Trio Cash Cups. Players have had nearly one month to sink their teeth into this new Fortnite season, themed to Marvel Comics. The fanbase collectively exhaled after seeing the Pump Shotgun return in Chapter 2 – Season 4. Recent additions to the Fortnite loot pool also included the Combat Shotgun, Light Machine Gun, Tactical Submachine Gun. Some noteworthy items returned as well, like the Port-A-Fort and Bouncers, which have their rightful place in Fortnite.

However, one item returned after exiting Fortnite at the beginning of Chapter 2. The Boogie Bomb is back, and despite its campy properties, many competitive players could do without it for the upcoming tournament stretch.

The Power of Boogie Bombs

https://twitter.com/TVPredepression/status/1305396109720780800?s=20

Australian Fortnite player and AO Summer Smash finalist Predepression showcased the power of Boogie Bombs in the clip above. As you can see, Boogie Bombs are the same as they were in Season X over a year ago. With Boogie Bombs in hand, the aggressive player in a one-on-one fight completely strips any defensive opportunity from their opponents. In the clip, Predepression tosses a Boogie Bomb into a room of two unsuspecting players. The Aussie then follows up with two precise Pump Shotgun blasts to send both players back to the lobby.

The Problems

Daily reminder boogie bombs are still in the game

— ARKHRAM (@Arkhram1x) September 13, 2020

There are a few aspects to analyze when it comes to Boogie Bombs. For one, the Boogie Bomb itself is essentially a free elimination for anyone who plays Fortnite regularly. Predepression’s clip displays that in full. One Boogie Bomb rendered both players defenseless for five seconds, allowing the Australian player to line up perfect headshots on them. It’s also worth noting that Boogie Bombs take away a player’s ability to do anything other than jump and move around. That means that those on the receiving end of a Boogie Bomb cannot build, edit or fire their weapons. The free kill aspect is undoubtedly the most concerning when discussing Boogie Bombs.

Another problematic aspect is the capacity in which players can carry Boogie Bombs. Players can hold up to ten at a time in their inventory, a no-brainer in any tournament match. With this item in a talented pro player’s hands, there is almost no chance in a one-on-one fight for an opponent on the receiving end. Successful competitive players would have no issues freeing up an inventory slot for Boogie Bombs, considering they will more than likely lead to effortless eliminations and essential refreshes.

The Potential Solution

Overall, Boogie Bombs carry almost no risk with high reward. The skill involved in successfully landing one on an opponent is simply nonexistent. We’ve talked about how Fortnite already functions on an unpredictable level, given that it’s a Battle Royale with a lot of randomnesses involved. However, Epic Games should actively work to make Fortnite as competitive as possible. To accomplish that, eliminating items that require almost no skill would be imperative to the game’s competitive integrity in the future. Kit’s Shockwave Launcher last season was bad enough. Now, professional players will have to play in constant fear of someone either stream sniping or just camping. As it stands today, the only counter the effects of a Boogie Bomb it at this point is to deploy a Crash Pad. Players who do not find Crash Pads off the spawn are in a world of hurt.

FYI: You can counter a boogie bomb with bounce pads from FortniteCompetitive

Boogie Bombs have escaped nerfs since patch 6.22 in November of 2018. I think now would be the time for Epic Games to adjust Boogie Bombs to a point where players can at least defend themselves, or even balance the risk versus reward. Decreasing the Boogie Bombs duration of effect from five to three seconds would be a start. This adjustment would at least make it much more crucial for the thrower to react even quickly with a follow-up shot.

Decreasing the Boogie Bombs stack size might also discourage players from prioritizing them in their inventory. The final option would be to remove the Boogie Bomb altogether from competitive Fortnite and leave it strictly as a casual item.

Make Fortnite More Competitive

i cant wait to be about to win a cash cup in my last game and die to someone sitting in a bush with a boogie bomb

— benjyfishy (@benjyfishy) September 11, 2020

Pro player NRG benjyfishy said it best, the reality that a player’s tournament could end because of a hail mary Boogie Bomb is unfathomable. There is no clear answer to the problem, and it’s certainly not as a game-changing as Kit’s Shockwave Launcher. However, we are talking about millions of dollars on the line for players looking to cement their legacy or make a name. Epic Games should be more open to solutions brought up by the community.

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