SypherPK Leaves Fortnite For Warzone Due To Frustrations With The Game
With updates to Chapter 2 Season 3 taking longer than most players want to wait for them, and promised features, such as cars, being pushed back indeterminately, many of the top Fortnite streamers have spread out their content among other games.
Ninja still plays Fortnite every so often, but VALORANT has captured his attention much more as of late. Tfue splits his time between Fortnite, Warzone, and other games. SypherPK, however, was one of the last all-Fortnite streamers and, to fans, showed an unending loyalty to the game that helped make his name.
Click to enlargeOn July 24, that all changed when SypherPK tweeted out that he would be switching over to Warzone. Fans didn't know how to respond to this news, as SypherPK was one of the last original Fortnite streamers to still be playing exclusively Fortnite.
Some viewers saw it as a sign of Fortnite's stagnation, whereas others criticised SypherPK for giving up on the game so quickly. Some of these reactions generated viral memes, such as the infamous sheep copypasta. In contrast, others applauded the streamer for making a public statement and pursuing what he really wanted to do.
Whether the reaction was positive or negative, one thing was for sure, SypherPK's current disinterest in Fortnite serves as a summation of what most players are experiencing in Season 3- fatigue. Much like in Chapter 2 Season 2, players are getting tired of minimal map changes, countless bugs, and delayed promises. This has led to many of the faces of Fortnite, streamers who were once happy to help advertise the game on Twitch and YouTube, to walk away from the game. SypherPK's reasons for leaving sum up the general consensus of Fortnite at the moment- skill-based matchmaking makes the game less fun for pros, updates are few and far between, and other games, like Warzone, tend to switch up gameplay in a way that is more exciting to watch.
Skill-based matchmaking is a feature that was only recently introduced to Fortnite and exists to match a player up with another player of their level. This feature is supposed to even the playing ground between professionals and other players, as pros can only duke it out with similarly-matched foes, which prevents new players from being in over their heads in matches. This new addition is great for new players or players that are training themselves up to be the best, but for players at the top, it hasn't been a welcome change.
Click to enlargeProfessional players with Twitch channels, such as SypherPK, have found it hard to have purely casual matches, as skill-based matchmaking makes every fight have a competitive angle, which doesn't necessarily make for an interesting stream. Streamers prefer casual matches because they can interact with their audience more, tell engaging stories, or create more exciting gameplay commentary. Purely competitive streams are fun- but not all the time. Viewers don't want to watch these types of streams over and over, and they would rather have content that is exciting, engaging, and most importantly, entertaining.
This brings up another reason for SypherPK's departure from full-time Fortnite- the game has stopped being exciting for him and most of his viewers. When Chapter 2 Season 3 was first released, many lauded it for subverting player expectations after Chapter 2 Season 2's stagnant map layout. Players were thrilled that the map would be continually changing to reflect the state of the in-game flood. Between this and promised features, such as cars, players were expecting Season 3 to be packed with constant excitement. Instead, players were met with bugs, delays, and a largely-unchanging map.
Click to enlargeAt the start of Season 3, many professionals had picked Fortnite back up after pursuing other titles during Season 2. These professionals had mostly positive things to say about the new map and in-game features. The new POIs, features, and challenges were enough to satisfy even the most vocal streamers. However, due to further delays and unfixed bugs, these disgruntled streamers have either left Fortnite once again or severely reduced the flow of Fortnite content on their Twitch and YouTube channels.
SypherPK is one of the streamers who has drastically cut down the Fortnite content he posts across platforms. After his July 24 tweet, SypherPK clarified that his departure from Fortnite was not permanent and he would still be uploading Fortnite content on YouTube. On Twitch, he would devote more of his time to Warzone and other titles he might wish to pursue, rather than purely uploading Fortnite content.
Click to enlargeIn a later tweet, SypherPK clarified that his choice to pursue other titles stemmed largely from his desire to focus on what makes both him and fans happy. He stated that focusing solely on numbers is no longer the name of the game for him. He would rather grow his image and play what makes him happy. This, in turn, will make for more engaging streams and a lasting audience. Chasing numbers will only lead him astray once whatever trend or game he could be chasing becomes obsolete. This seems to be why SypherPK has chosen to play a variety of games, instead of just the title that brought him fame.
Additionally, SypherPK hasn't given up on Fortnite completely, he just doesn't want to be just a Fortnite competitive, he wants to be a competitive gamer in all aspects. This is why his YouTube channel still produces more short-form casual Fortnite content, whereas his Twitch channel shows that his real focus is on shaping his gaming skills in a broader sense.
Despite the mixed reaction he received from fans, SypherPK's future looks brighter than ever. He has a vast audience across multiple platforms, has proven he can adapt to different games and playstyles and has a positive outlook for the future of his career. His decision to stop solely prioritizing Fortnite might have come out of nowhere for many of his fans, but SypherPK's tweets prove that he has been thinking about this decision for many months. His decision to become a more well-rounded gamer is a mature one and one that might benefit his content and Twitch presence for years to come.
Images via Epic Games | SypherPK