Fortnite fans erupt in fury, pinning the shockwave grenade’s abrupt exit on streamer Nick Eh 30-until the game’s design director steps in with the real story.
However, some classic items like Fortnite’s Shockwave Grenade have stayed in the loot pool, the reason being it’s a crucial item players carry in their loadout for mobility. Shockwave Grenades were introduced in Fortnite Chapter 2 and are perfect for a swift escape or zone rotation during a BR match.
But unexpectedly, Fortnite has now removed the item from the loot pool in its latest 39.20 update, and players are blaming streamer and Icon Nick Eh 30 for the removal. Nick has been quite vocal about this season’s loot pool balancing, but when players started blasting the streamer as the reason behind the item’s vaulting, Fortnite devs rushed to his rescue to handle the situation.
Fortnite Devs Back Nick Eh 30 as Streamer Gets Blasted By Players For Shockwave Grenade Removal
Fortnite players unleashed fury on streamer Nick Eh 30, holding him responsible for the Shockwave Grenades’ removal from the game. Accusations flew after the update dropped the item, with many pointing fingers at the popular creator’s past clips praising its banishment. Game Design Director Ben Walker stepped in to defend Nick, clarifying the decision stemmed from Epic Games’ internal balance tweaks, not any single voice. This cleared the air amid heated debates on social media and streams.
As the hate towards Nick Eh 30 grew on social media after the community’s beloved mobility item, Shockwave Grenade, was removed from the Chapter 7 loot pool in a recent content patch, Fortnite Game Design Director Ted Timmins stepped in to diffuse the situation with the reason behind the item’s vaulting.
Replying to a toxic individual blaming Nick, Twitter, “The team came to their own conclusions, and don’t make decisions unilaterally based on a single opinion. The start of Season 1 had a combat fleeing issue that could spoil engagements. The team felt this needed a meta change, and I support intentional experimentation.” This means that the item balancing team behind the Battle Royale loot pool items is based on the decisions purely made by the design team itself.
To offer some context, Shockwave Grenades have been a part of the Fortnite Battle Royale loot pool consistently for over 400 days without being vaulted, and now that it’s gone, players are expressing frustration towards the decision made and Twitter and other content creators for the same.
The content creator has since called out toxic individuals in the community for blaming him and has posted statements like, “NickEh30 is not the reason shockwaves were vaulted.” The Fortnite Icon has also offered his opinion on the latest patch, saying “game is still fun”, and “there’s still mobility: crashpads, wingsuits, cars.”
Why did Epic remove Shockwave Grenades in update 39.20
Epic Games vaulted Shockwave Grenades in Fortnite’s 39.20 update to mix up the mobility meta in Battle Royale modes.
Official Reasoning
The decision aimed to address issues like easy escapes from combat early in matches, promoting better engagement flow. Epic simultaneously unvaulted Crash Pad Jr. as a riskier alternative with tracking potential.
Community Context
Players debated the change heavily, with some praising reduced “fleeing” while others lamented lost rotation options in Zero Build. Game Design Director Ted Timmins confirmed it stemmed from internal balance team analysis, not streamer feedback. A brief bug later unvaulted them accidentally before a quick fix.
What gameplay problems did developers cite for removing shockwaves
Epic Games vaulted Shockwave Grenades in Fortnite update 39.20 primarily to address mobility issues disrupting early-game combat flow.
Key Developer Concerns
Developers cited Shockwaves enabling excessive “combat fleeing,” where players could easily escape build fights or engagements without meaningful risk. This made rotations too reliable and fights drag on unnaturally, especially early in matches.
Balance Team Intent
Game Design Director Ted Timmins explained the vaulting as an internal balance decision to experiment with the meta, unvaulting Crash Pad Jr. as a riskier alternative that allows tracking. The change aimed to promote more intentional engagements rather than effortless escapes.
