A super-powerful weapon added in a recent Fortnite patch, the Infinity Blade, has been vaulted less than a week after it was introduced. The blade, which is a nod to a recently removed mobile action-RPG of the same name, has been a major source of controversy since it was introduced last Tuesday in the 7.01 patch.
The Infinity Blade was a Mythic-quality (a step above Legendary, the previous highest tier) weapon that would spawn once per match at the top of Polar Peak every time. When a player picks it up, it replaces their entire inventory, but it gives them increased health and shields as well as faster movement speed. The blade itself could deal 75 damage per swing, has a leap ability to close the distance between the wielder and their victims, and smash through structures in a single hit. If a good player got their hands on the sword, they could become an unstoppable juggernaut who could render anyone’s masterful construction efforts moot.
What made the Infinity Blade’s introduction even more messy was the fact that it released on the same day as the semifinals for the North American section of Epic’s Winter Royale tournament. The Infinity Blade’s ability to demolish structures pulled out a common tactic from players who used constructions to block bullets and sparked discussions on Fortnite as an eSport.
On Thursday, Epic Games posted on Fortnite’s subreddit to detail their thoughts on the Infinity Blade. They outlined some upcoming nerfs for it (including the wielder not being able to build,) and their philosophy on Mythic items, while implying more would appear in the future:
The presence of Mythic items in gameplay is to provide an interaction a step above the Legendary item functionality and something you’ll continue to see. To us, that means changing the way the game is played for those who interact with that item. The addition of items in this tier provide new and flavorful ways to interact with the map and generally shake up normal play across default modes.
After another day of players complaining about the Infinity Blade, Epic Games shifted gears:
There’s no indication when the Infinity Blade will return, but hopefully it, or the next Mythic item revealed, will be better balanced.