Shakedown mechanic removed Fortnite Chapter 3: How to play without it
By Andrew Lin
The shakedown mechanic was a mainstay of Fortnite Chapter 2 multiplayer that’s been surprisingly removed from Chapter 3. If you came to rely on it, you might be in for a hard time until you learn to adjust. Here’s what the removal of shakedowns means, and how you should adjust your play style.
Shakedown mechanic removed from Fortnite Chapter 3: How to play without it
Place highly enough in a match and earn a Victory Crown.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) December 10, 2021
But with these bragging rights come high stakes so watch out, others will be coming for the Crown so hold onto it and get bonus XP! pic.twitter.com/aKhflOh3s9
Shakedowns were first introduced in C2S2. Knocking down an enemy will allow you to pick them up and shake them down, pinging other objects on the map. This was designed to allow you to “interrogate” the NPC Henchmen enemies to find secrets in their lairs.
In multiplayer (Duos, Trios, Squads) this allowed you to find the shaken enemy’s friends. This gave the enormous benefit of knowing which of your opponents were together, and more importantly, where they were.
There were a few problems with shakedowns, however. The animation took quite a while, and you’d be vulnerable while you mark the enemies. It’s also a huge feel-bad if you were the one shaken down. It always felt like you let the team down if you were captured by the enemy.
What this means for you and your squad
The removal of shakedowns makes a few things more important. The individual ability of each of your players on your team matters more, as you won’t be able to band together to seek an enemy out after a skirmish.
It’ll also test everyone’s game sense in the same way. Good communication has always been paramount, but with the game giving you less information you’ll need to keep eyes and ears open and give that to your friends.
The removal of shakedowns also makes one of my favorite “secret” game modes more difficult: playing no-fill as a solo player. You won’t know how many players the enemy squad has left, and will have to rely on old school tracking tactics to find them.
C3S1 Weapon Tier List: December 2021. light. Hot
Stealth may be more viable now, especially if you’re the one behind. Teams won’t be wiped as quickly, so if your buddies get taken out you can hide until it’s safe. This gives you more chances to grab their cards and reboot them. Of course, this also means that reboot vans will be more valuable and could be contested.