Recently, Epic Games’ Fortnite received a new update, introducing new features that some players quickly noticed were similar to those in games such as Apex Legends and Sea of Thieves. Now, a Fortnite streamer has noticed the similarities as well and shared his insights via a stream on Twitch.
It is no secret that Tyler “Ninja” Blevins gained popularity by streaming Fortnite. However, after Fortnite introduced a ping system and added pirates similar to Apex Legends and Sea of Thieves respectively, the streamer poked fun at Epic Games’ decision to emulate its competitors. The streamer jokingly asked his viewers that “What do you do when Sea of Thieves and Apex become super popular but also, Fortnite is still popular, what do you do? You take the best of both worlds!”
Ninja then continued by saying, “Update your pinging system from Apex and then you add pirates from Sea of Thieves! That’s what you do!” Of course, it was evident that the streamer was merely making a joke out of the situation given that it is common for video games to copy features from each other. Fortnite’s decision to add the ping system in the game helps players communicate with teammates without a microphone.
To those who still haven’t tried out the new ping system in Fortnite, it can be accessed by pressing the left bumper button in consoles, or via the middle mouse in PC. This new feature allows players to mark areas, weapons, loot, enemies, etc. to other players, allowing for a more effective way of working together.
While the timing of the update seems to suggest that the introduction of the ping system was a response to Apex Legends, it is also possible that Epic Games was already developing it for Fortnite in the first place. Nonetheless, Fortnite copying its competitors is not a bad thing, it only shows that Epic Games is open to new ideas with the end goal of making the quality of life in the game better for all players.
Fortnite is available now for iOS, Android, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
