Fortnite movement nerfs make players feel like they’re “running in mud”

Nathan Warby
Fortnite characters in Chapter 5 Season 1

The Fortnite 28.10 update brought a host of gameplay adjustments to Epic’s battle royale, but players have called out the changes to sprint speeds and stamina for making the game “as slow as possible.”

Fortnite Chapter 5 is in full swing and players are enjoying all of the fresh content it brought, from the long-awaited Peter Griffin skin to the popular LEGO mode. The devs followed this up with the 28.10 update, the first major patch of 2024.

The update delivered the hotly-anticipated Metal Gear crossover, featuring a Solid Snake skin, the EMP Stealth Camo, and the iconic Cardboard Box. It also brought a handful of gameplay changes that aim to make matches more fair and balanced.

However, Fortnite players have reacted negatively towards the changes to sprinting and stamina, claiming they actually make the game feel worse than before.

The Fortnite 28.10 patch reverted the sprint speed and energy regeneration back to the “same speed from Chapter 4,” as the devs felt that these “better fit the current ideal pace of Fortnite BR.” In the previous chapter, players sprinted 20% slower and energy took one second longer to replenish.

Reddit user ‘TastyScratch4264’ shared a post titled ‘This sh*t is unenjoyable,” where they explained how these changes have disrupted the game for them.

“I’m really getting tired of running out of stamina in like [one] second and it taking forever to recharge especially when I need it most,” the OP said. “The recent update just made this 10X worse. Why does Epic insist on making the game as slow [as] possible.”

Plenty of other Fortnite players responded in the comments to criticize the changes, with one mentioning they almost “broke” their controller trying to get their character to sprint out of danger. Some mentioned that the issue is especially noticeable in Zero Build mode, where they can’t rely on building to avoid incoming shots.

“Wondered why I thought I was running in mud,” said one reply. Then, another added: “They’re trying to make movements seem more realistic? In a game where we carry two tons of imaginary lumber, bricks, and steel that is summoned out of thin air. I totally see.”

Meanwhile, some players begged the devs not to nerf movement any further and to undo the changes added in the 28.10 update.

“Epic, please don’t try and make Fortnite a slow-paced game. Literally everyone wants this game to be more fast-paced with movement, mobility, and mechanics,” said another fan. “It’s very boring traversing the map like a pilgrim with a broken leg.”

Only time with the tell if Epic listens to the feedback and restores the sprint speed and stamina to what it was at the start of Chapter 5. More updates are expected to arrive regularly ahead of Season 2, so we’ll have to wait and see if they introduce more changes.

About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer at CharlieIntel. He’s an expert in EA Sports FC, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, as well as superhero games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man. With a master's degree in Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University, he worked as a Trainee Reporter for Derbyshire Live before moving into games media, with bylines at Dexerto, Cultured Vultures, and more. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].