Why ‘Fortnite’s Steady Storm Mode Should Return

The problem with Fortnite’s limited time modes, is that they only last a limited time. Sometimes that timeframe is so short that if you don’t act quickly, you can miss out altogether. Such was the case with the Steady Storm mode.

The Steady Storm mode was introduced in Patch 5.2 on August 7, 2018 and was gone in less than two weeks. There have been 14 limited time modes in Fortnite to date, and Steady Storm was one of the good ones. It proved that only a slight adjustment, if well though-out, can dramatically change the way we play.

The Steady Storm limited time mode retains all the systems and features of your standard Battle Royale game, except for one major difference. The storm never stops charging inwards. In the standard mode, the storm’s encroachments are staggered. It gives players time to think about their movements, scavenge for resources, build, and even fight in relative safety from the storm’s devastating damage.

Steady Storm mode took away that safety blanket altogether. Over the course of 15 minutes, it constantly closed in, herding players like sheep for the eye. And to up the ante, the damage is dealt out from the start at 10 points per second. Usually the storm builds up to that kind of damage power, not reaching it until its sixth phase.

The Steady Storm limited time mode was fun, and in the end simply wasn’t around long enough. So why should Epic Games bring Steady Storm back?

6 Reasons We Loved Steady Storm Mode

1. Steady Storm mode ramped up the importance of Rifts. Rifts were one of the big new arrivals in Season 5. By entering a Rift you – and anything you happen to be holding or driving – are warped up high above the island. This gives you a second opportunity to glide back to the turf, this time fully armed. Obviously, a Rift was a great way to get out of the storm’s path if you got caught near its front. But they also became a tactical advantage. With the knowledge of a Rift location in your back pocket, you could spend more time looting and gathering resources. Plus you could lay in wait, hoping to catch other players unaware as they run for their lives. A luxury not afforded unless you could relax in the knowledge of a nearby Rift that could jettison you out of there.
2. The All-Terrain Karts (ATKs) also came into their own in Steady Storm mode. Another new (and welcome) feature of Season 5, the ATKs can hold an entire squad of four as it zips across the island. Similar to the Rifts, the ATK is a great way to get out of the storm’s path. However, its added importance meant they attracted greater attention from players. You were less likely to be able to drive past a rival squad on an ATK and be left alone, for example. As a result, you needed to be able to defend yourself a lot better from the ATK, putting more emphasis on mastering jumping, building, and switching seats while motoring along.
3. Combat, in particular short-range combat, became a lot more prevalent in Steady Storm mode. In the base mode, avoiding combat altogether in the early period is a good strategy. And for those who do want to fight, long-range weapons provide the most amount of security. However, the constantly closing storm in Steady Storm mode meant players were in a sprint for safety from the start. This not only concentrated the playing group towards one area a lot faster, but greatly upped the odds of bumping into someone unexpectedly. This lead to more closequarters combat and slots filled with weapons suiting that style of play.
4. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as killing an opponent with a trap, and they became a far handier addition to your inventory in Steady Storm mode. There’s just so much more player movement and that movement was far less cagey. Traps set around blind corners, near loot, inside doorways, and in other positions that typically would not be triggered due to their predictability suddenly worked a treat.
5. Steady Storm mode changed the way you think about loot. We mentioned before the emphasis it placed on short-range weapons, but it also asked you to have a lot more slots filled with health and shield buffs. If you got caught behind that storm front, you were going to take damage at a blisteringly fast rate. In addition, it also changed the way you went about resources. Well-worn early game strategies that you love to employ often went out the window. Your favourite loot-filled location may have been too far away from where you thought the storm’s eye would be. And as you run for safety, you may have had to stay in a straight line and not detour towards likely loot locations or plentiful resources.
6. Finally, if you are not much of a builder, then Steady Storm mode forced you to improve quickly. There was often not enough time to get around any major environmental obstacles, requiring you to build your way up and over them without slowing down. You also needed to be more efficient in build battles, as you had to be thriftier with your resources. There simply wasn’t as much time to restock.

There’s no word yet on whether Epic Games will bring back Steady Storm mode in an upcoming patch or not. But if the developer does, we’ll be sure to let you know.