Highlights

  • Fortnite could innovate by focusing on melee combat, offering fresh gameplay experiences.
  • A potential melee-focused season could introduce new weapons and in-depth mechanics, potentially even reworking Harvesting Tools.
  • If the game's melee combat became deeper, a dedicated melee mode could be a natural addition to Fortnite's diverse range of game modes.

Fortnite has become well known for its constantly evolving nature. Whether through new maps, characters, or even gameplay mechanics, Fortnite has quickly turned into many different games in one title. Now, with Chapter 5's inclusion of modes like Fortnite Festival and LEGO Fortnite, it seems as though anything is possible within Fortnite.

However, there is still one feature that has yet to be given the same amount of love and experimentation as the rest of the game. As one of the staple mechanics in the game, melee has been with Fortnite since the very beginning of Battle Royale, and the game's next venture in gameplay innovation should focus on how it handles the mechanic. The many features in Fortnite make it a game that caters to a variety of tastes, and detailed melee combat would only further the game's already impressive reach.

A screenshot from Fortnite's Fallout crossover showing a character in Power Armor drinking a Nuka-Cola.
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A Fortnite Season Focused on Melee

Giving the Long-Running Mechanic the Love It Deserves

Melee controls have played a major part of Fortnite's gameplay, but they have been kept incredibly simple. Pickaxes have been an important tool in Fortnite, and although these objects play a big role in collecting building materials, their use as a weapon is pretty clunky. Of course, pickaxes can do damage, but they are completely powerless against any other type of weapon in the game. One of the most surprising ways Fortnite could make combat feel fresh is through completely flipping the established gun-focused gameplay on its head and bringing melee into the spotlight.

The closest Fortnite has ever got to a melee-focused combat style is with the occasional inclusion of Lightsabers during Star Wars events. Hacking and slashing one's way through other players with Lightsabers is always an exciting change of pace during matches, and it might be wise for Epic Games to have a whole season based around this concept. Not exactly based around Lightsabers, per se, but making the majority of weapons available be melee-focused, or close-range weapons in general.

Potential For Exciting New Weapons and In-Depth Melee Mechanics

The weapon possibilities are seemingly endless. When it comes to the prospect of a melee season, the game could go one of two ways.

  • A pickaxe-only match with more well-rounded melee mechanics
  • Replacing long range weapons with brand-new melee weapons

With the former, it would be compelling to see how Epic Games chooses to refine the game's melee mechanics in order to feel like a more fleshed out version of face-to-face combat. However, a gameplay overhaul like this would prove to be a tall order for developers, so it may not be the most efficient route. The latter option could feature a variety of melee weapons to pick up with their own combat animations, so the melee feels sharper and more unique without actually having to completely change how the pickaxe mechanics work. Fortnite is always putting a twist on in-game features, and a melee-centered era for the game could prove to be a hit if pulled off correctly.

The Nitro Fists introduced in this current season could also be a great blueprint for close-quarters combat.

Giving Melee Fighting Its Own Mode

It seems like Fortnite has given almost every type of gameplay its own mode. With the likes of Zero Build and Rocket Racing expanding upon what Fortnite can be, it only makes sense for there to also be a game mode that brings melee front and center. From Fortnite's many high-profile crossovers to massive in-game events, the game keeps growing. However, melee has yet to receive the same attention despite being one of the oldest mechanics.

Although there are currently no known plans to make this type of mode a reality, it's surprising that Fortnite hasn't brought melee to the forefront yet in a bigger way. The Lightsaber-focused moments are fun, and the popular crossover with Avatar the Last Airbender bordered on melee combat. However, these mechanics could still be brought further into the future.