Fortnite’s latest season launches with lobbies filled with bots.

Fortnite’s Chapter 7 Season 4 kicked off this week, and players are diving into the new loot pool and gameplay mechanics. As they get accustomed to the changes, snagging a Victory Royale might feel a bit tougher. Interestingly, it seems that Epic Games has boosted players’ chances of winning by increasing the number of bots in each match.

On Fortnite Discord servers, user Au5la noted a significant rise in the number of bots in Battle Royale matches this season compared to earlier ones. Previously, players could expect to see between 58 and 65 real opponents in a match; now, that number has plummeted to just 25, marking a notable shift.

Back in 2019, Epic Games introduced bots to “help players improve their skill level.” They even hinted at creating a bot-only mode for training. However, if players find themselves in lobbies dominated by bots, they miss out on real skill development.

Many matches often see players taking out a few bots before being eliminated by actual opponents. With so many bots around, players can become accustomed to easier fights, leaving them unprepared for encounters with skilled players. Instead of encouraging continued play, this could lead to frustration, especially when players repeatedly fall short in the Top 10. As Au5la expressed, “Even if I didn’t win every game, the joy from fighting actual real players far outweighs fighting bots all game until the last few teams. Really sad to see they changed this.” This sentiment resonates with many in the community.

While some players report not encountering any bots and facing off against highly skilled opponents, others are weary of the bot presence. Given the reports of increased bot numbers, there’s hope that Epic Games will finally enhance their bot AI as promised. Just yesterday, I hired The Order, and while I was down, my teammate was engaged in a close-quarters 1v1 with the player who eliminated me. Our opponent was taken out unexpectedly, and upon checking the kill feed, I saw that The Order had sniped them.

Even if Epic enhances the bots’ abilities, addressing skill-based matchmaking would likely be a more effective way to help players improve at Fortnite than simply increasing the bot count. Additionally, giving players the option to face bots or avoid them altogether could enhance the overall experience.