Summary

  • Fortnite Season 2's slow XP gain is making unlocking Battle Pass items a tedious chore for players.
  • Epic should increase XP earned through regular play to prevent burnout and keep players engaged.
  • Extending the current Battle Pass into Season 3 while reworking XP gain rates could win back players' goodwill.

With the release of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 just around the corner, fans of the free-to-play shooter are already speculating about what the game has in store for them. It’s safe to assume that Season 3 will bring with it the usual assortment of in-game items for players to unlock, but Epic should also use its arrival to address one of Season 2’s most persistent problems. While gamers can obtain custom characters and unique skins by working their way through Fortnite’s Battle Pass, the glacially slow drip of XP this season has made unlocking them a chore for all but the most dedicated players.

Although Fortnite’s Battle Pass is designed to keep players coming back day after day, the amount of grinding required to unlock everything on offer has become burdensome in Season 2. This is why, to keep players from becoming burned out and potentially abandoning Fortnite altogether in favor of one of its many competitors, Epic should increase the amount of XP that can be earned through daily play. By fixing Fortnite’s XP gain system ahead of Season 3, and possibly even extending the current Battle Pass into the new season, Epic could have a good shot at regaining the goodwill of gamers.

Fortnite Season 2’s Slow XP Gain Makes the Battle Pass a Slog

For many Fortnite fans, earning unlocks through the Battle Pass is the primary motivation to play. Though largely consisting of the same sort of cosmetic add-ons typically found in similar shooters, Fortnite’s frequent collaborations with some of pop culture’s biggest properties make its unlockables particularly appealing. Many players hoping to breeze through the Battle Pass for Chapter 5 Season 2 have run into a wall, though, with the XP needed to unlock each tier being doled out at a glacial pace.

Rather than being able to clear out the Battle Pass with a few rounds of daily play, Season 2 requires a substantial time commitment. Even players who complete all their daily and weekly match quests could come up short at the end of the season unless they also engage in the other optional content on offer. And while the Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, and LEGO Fortnite mode each offer additional ways to earn XP, the XP gain is slow there as well and the modes simply may not appeal to some players. For Season 3, Epic should boost the amount of XP earned from regular play so that completing the Battle Pass doesn’t become a full-time job for gamers.

Chapter 5 Season 3 of Fortnite Needs to Radically Rethink XP Gain

Increasing the amount of XP doled out to players in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 would help address complaints about the slow pace of progression in the current season. This would ensure that players can complete the Battle Pass without having to dedicate dozens of hours to the game each month, which could be particularly appealing to those who spent their hard-earned money to unlock the premium tier. Epic could also make a goodwill gesture towards players by extending the current Battle Pass into Season 3.

Extending Fortnite’s current Battle Pass into Season 3 while retooling XP gain rates would be a winning move for Epic, giving players who failed to make it through the current Battle Pass extra time to complete their collection. It would also show that Epic is still willing to take player feedback into account, which could help bring back gamers who felt burned out by the slow XP gain in the current season of Fortnite.

If Epic can rework Fortnite’s XP gain system ahead of the launch of Chapter 5 Season 3, it will have finally fixed one of Season 2’s biggest flaws. And even though it would still clearly be incentivized to keep players logging into the game day after day, this one adjustment could help prevent Epic from pushing away some Fortnite fans forever.

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Fortnite
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Released
September 26, 2017
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Play Fortnite your way.

Be the last player standing in Battle Royale, Zero Build, Reload, and Fortnite OG, explore LEGO Fortnite experiences, blast to the finish with Rocket Racing or headline a concert with Fortnite Festival. Play thousands of free creator made islands with friends including deathruns, tycoons, racing, zombie survival and more! Join the creator community and build your own island with Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) or Fortnite Creative tools.

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ESRB
T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Epic Games
Publisher(s)
Epic Games
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Number of Players
1-4 players (online)
Genre(s)
Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure
Metascore
78
Platforms That Support Crossplay
Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Local Co-Op Support
1-4 players (certain modes)
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