The Harpoon Gun’s Impact on Competitive Fortnite

Fortnite's newest weapon, the Harpoon Gun, is having quite an impact on the game and the competitive scene.

Fortnite Chapter 2 brought a whole mess of changes to many aspects of the popular Battle Royale title. Epic Games has taken a new approach, which apparently precludes them from releasing patch notes. At some point after 12 A.M. on November 5th, a new item appeared in Fortnite: Battle Royale. The newly release Harpoon Gun and is now available to use.

THIS NEW GUN IS SO MUCH FUN pic.twitter.com/Y2aHOJEqX8

— Ninja (@Ninja) November 5, 2019

What Does it Do?

With no patch notes available regarding the new weapon, we only know what we have seen thus far. The Harpoon Gun appears to inflict seventy-five damage upon successfully connecting with an opposing player. In addition to this, the properties of the Harpoon Gun allow the player using it to pull a targeted player toward them. It essentially functions similar to Scorpion’s spear from Mortal Kombat. On top of damaging and pulling opposing players, this new item also functions like a fishing rod. Each Harpoon Gun possesses ten uses upon pickup. It does NOT provide mobility for the player using it. All in all, it’s an odd addition to Fortnite, but should make for some interesting uses and eliminations.

Impact on Competitive

This previously unannounced item could have massive implications on the competitive side of Fortnite. For one, being able to fish with the Harpoon Gun could prove useful later in a match. If the storm circle moves toward the water, players will have the option to sit in a one-by-one and pull resources toward themselves. Let’s say that a player is low on shield or health late in a match, the player can use the Harpoon Gun to pull a small fry, flopper or a slurpfish. It will also be useful in the sense that it will function as a looting tool from a distance. Teams and players often have to weigh the risks of pushing for a previously eliminated players loot, but the Harpoon Gun may remove the need to make that decision.

Preventing Rotations

The Harpoon Gun could very well be worth carrying for professional players for the looting aspect, but it does not end there. With rotating such a point of emphasis in the current meta, the Harpoon Gun could prove annoying for rotating teams. Mobility is already difficult as it is, but now players are susceptible to the Harpoon Gun and its ability to pull players. If a team is holding the high ground and is in possession of a Harpoon Gun, they could easily pull individual players from their squad and spoil their rotations. It will be worth checking out professional scrims to see how this item factors in.

Epic Games’ Odd Decisions

This may be worth going into at a later time, but Epic’s lack of patch notes is an odd decision. It feels like perhaps they are protecting themselves from the constant fire that they were under in Fortnite’s past. Each patch notes article was often met with an outcry of rage from the general Fortnite fandom. By sneaking items and adjustments into the Battle Royale, they do not have to endure the backlash. Whether this is a worthwhile choice is up in the air, but for now, we can kiss patch notes goodbye.