In a recent announcement, Epic Games revealed an exciting new feature coming to Fortnite that aims to enhance the gaming experience by addressing concerns related to online behavior and player interaction.
The game will soon allow players to hide or disable what are commonly referred to as “mean emotes,” which have unfortunately been used by some individuals to harass or taunt others during gameplay.
This change comes amidst an ongoing debate within the Fortnite community. Emotes like “Laugh It Up” and “Take the L” have become infamous for their use in celebratory dominance, where players use them to mock or belittle their defeated opponents.
While some consider these emotes to be lighthearted fun and a harmless way to express victory, others find them to be toxic and contribute to a tilting, frustrating experience.
The v29.30 update will empower players to curate their Fortnite experience by enabling them to filter out these potentially negative interactions. By activating the “Filter Confrontational Emotes” option (likely found within the settings menu), players can visually mute four specific emotes:
- Laugh It Up
- Take the L
- Whipcrack
- Make it Plantain
Instead of witnessing the full-blown animated taunts, players who enable this filter will see a static image representing the emote being used. This effectively mutes the potentially tilting aspects of these emotes while still allowing for basic communication through emotes.
The effectiveness of this update in significantly reducing overall in-game toxicity remains to be seen. Some argue that true bad sportsmanship transcends emotes and manifests more inherently within the gameplay itself, through camping, excessive building, or exploiting glitches.
However, it undeniably represents a step in the right direction. By offering players more control over the emotes they encounter, Epic Games is potentially reducing frustration for those who find these emotes upsetting and creating a more enjoyable experience for a wider audience.
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