Is building back in Fortnite?

Nathan Warby
Fortnite players stood in front of building

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 took the bold decision to remove building from the battle royale’s gameplay, but how long will this core mechanic be vaulted for?

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 has shaken up Epic’s world-dominating battle royale with a host of new content. The new era comes with a Batte Bus-load of new challenges to complete, as well as Marvel Doctor Strange and Prowler skins to unlock.

Despite all of the new mechanics, such as Tactical Sprint, it’s actually a feature that has been removed from the game that has fans talking.

For the first time since Fortnite launched, building is completely missing from the standard Battle Royale mode in the new season. But when can players expect the classic feature to return?

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 poster image

Fortnite removes building in Chapter 3 Season 2

For the first time since Fortnite’s launch, Epic removed the building mechanic for the beginning of Chapter 3 Season 2. That meant that players were left to rely on the existing cover found on the island, as well as their aim, to lead them to victory.

Luckily, players weren’t left totally defenceless, as building was replaced by the Overshield, which soaks up some damage before enemy fire starts to chew through health.

Building was still available in competitive, Arena, Creative, and Team Rumble modes during this period, but it was absent from the standard Battle Royale mode.

When was building brought back to Fortnite?

On April 2, 2022, building officially returned to Fortnite, allowing players to build in the standard battle royale game mode.

Due to the success of removing building from Fortnite, Epic have revealed that a permanent Zero Build mode will now be a part of Fortnite, allowing those who enjoyed the game without building to continue playing that way.

Building has always been a controversial feature in the game. Many fans have called for its removal to make Fortnite more accessible to new players, while others see it as an integral mechanic that separates it from the likes of Warzone and Apex Legends.

Regardless, players now have the choice of either building or zero building so that they can play how they would like to.


For more on Fortnite, be sure to check out all the exotic weapon locations for Chapter 3 Season 2.

Image credits: Epic Games

About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer for CharlieIntel and Dexerto, primarily covering FIFA and Call of Duty, as well as general gaming news and guides. After leaving university with a degree in Sports Studies and a master's degree in Magazine Journalism, he took on a role as a local news reporter before moving into games media. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].