Fortnite Has Disabled Its Most Controversial Weapon
The Shockwave Hammer has been removed from Fortnite.
The infamous Shockwave Hammer weapon brought by the Chapter 4, Season 1 of the financially burdened Fortnite has been officially disabled by Epic Games, and it will no longer appear in the game. Chapter 4 is the biggest one so far, and the franchise brought even more crossovers, including the characters from the best anime series and one of the best Star Wars villains. However, it would seem that there’s trouble in gaming paradise, with the Shockwave Hammer at the center of it all.
According to Epic Games’ Fortnite Status Twitter Page, the Shockwave Hammer has been temporarily disabled due to an unspecified, game-breaking issue. A further explanation wasn’t provided by the company, but it’s not unusual for Epic to skip the specifics when something within the game gets disabled. The good news is that the iconic hammer will eventually return to the game, most probably as part of the next update, once the issues have been addressed. As for what caused them, well, that part remains a mystery for the time being.
However, it would seem that the reasons stem from a slew of glitches caused by the Shockwave Hammer’s abilities. The Fortnite weapon, while seemingly broken, allows players to use it and perform some pretty spectacular kills within the battle royale, as well as a map traversal method. Apparently, one glitch allowed players to jump endlessly around the in-game map without having to recharge the hammer at all. And that’s not all; the exploit alone wouldn’t be as horrible if players couldn’t attack with the hammer while jumping around.
And the list goes on. The Fortnite hammer’s primary purpose is to quickly destroy buildings or items and, when in a pinch, hammer the opponent halfway across the gaming area while dealing moderate damage. They can also be used to hammer yourself out of harm’s way, allowing you to heal away from your enemies. But the glitches associated with the weapon have created some unique playstyles. For example, players have reported being hit with a hammer across the map and having a house they were in, which was subsequently hit with a hammer, land on their head—killing them instantly.
It’s worth noting that the Shockwave Hammer isn’t the only weapon causing controversy in Fortnite. Deku’s Smash—from Fortnite‘s My Hero Academia crossover—was another item that the players branded as overpowered, while some even pointed to the likelihood of its flashing animations causing seizures in some players—something similar is happening with Call of Duty right now. However, Deku’s Smash move was later disabled by Epic.
As for the hammer itself, the controversial Fortnite weapon was introduced to the game at the beginning of the chapter, along with a whole new map, support of Unreal Engine 5, and more. While the item is currently disabled, it can be found in chests or grabbed from specific NPCs during the match. As previously stated, its primary purpose seems to be defensive, but its currently glitched state turned it into an offensive weapon. Hopefully, Epic will be able to fix the hammer soon.
