Fortnite players demand nerfs to OP Ballistic Shield that’s “impossible” to beat
Epic GamesFortnite Chapter 5 introduced the new Ballistic Shield, but players are already sick of how much damage it can soak up and want to see it removed or nerfed.
The Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 update brought plenty of new content to the long-running battle royale, from a fresh Battle Pass to an overhauled map. It also introduced a ton of weapons, which can be altered using Mod Benches.
Among the new arrivals is the Ballistic Shield, a large barrier that protects the user’s body while also allowing them to fire a Pistol at the same time. Many players have struggled to counter the Ballistic Shield since it was released, and it now seems that some want to see it vaulted altogether.
Reddit user ‘ItsThatGoatBoy’ kickstarted the conversation, as they posted about a frustrating encounter they had with a player using the weapon.
“To those saying ‘just pick up an AR to deal with the Ballistic Shield!’ I had this man dead to rights, 30 HP remaining and he whips out the ‘NUH UH’ and completely ignores a total of 435 damage,” said the OP.
Plenty of other players responded sharing their experiences against the Ballistic Shield in Fortnite. “I have a clip I’m going to upload but I did 647 damage to the shield in one stream and it didn’t break. Mythic SMG, every bullet hit. I haven’t seen anyone top that number yet,” said one reply.
Ballistic Shields are supposed to stun after taking a certain amount of damage, but many fans have found the amount it can soak up to be inconsistent. While some players mentioned counters like aiming for the small window at the top of the shield or using a Grapple Blade, others called for the devs to take action.
“They need to either completely vault this stupid item or nerf it to hell and back,” argued another angry user, before adding:
“I’m tired of losing to this damn shield, it never stuns from bullets and it’s borderline impossible to counter unless you have niche items like the grappling hook and even then it’s not a guarantee you get the kill/stun off. Completely overpowered weapon.”
Epic Games are yet to address the complaints, but frustrations surrounding the Ballistic Shield only seem to be growing as Chapter 5 goes on. The devs have temporarily removed items in the past while they work on changes to them, so many players will hope the weapon is vaulted soon.
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