← The Delta / Topic #973

Restoration of Bot Lobbies and Casual Play Modes

657 posts · 2025-06-10 → 2026-06-10 · coherence 0.86

Explained the decision

Epic's response: Explained the decision

Epic provides a design rationale for not reverting to the previous bot lobby state, citing that it would lead to more complaints about uneven matchmaking and specific lobby issues.

@EpicTofuChris: “@rainbearkee @KiriBuilds we could revert back exactly to where it was, but I would predict we'd see more "why is matchmaking so uneven" and "why are there so many sharks in the lobby" it was actually in a pretty rough state during C6S4, where we had the widest elo differences in lobbies EVER”
read the full thread →
12 dev/official replies in our data semantically matched this topic. This is a floor — absence isn't proof of silence.

What players are asking

Restoration of Bot Lobbies and Casual Play Modes

  • Macro Player Request: Re-enable dedicated bot lobbies or introduce an official "vs. Bots" game mode to allow casual players to complete quests and explore the map without high-intensity PvP pressure.
  • Pain Points: The removal or degradation of bot lobbies has created a hostile environment for casual, new, and accessibility-focused players who are being matched against highly skilled "sweats," leading to immediate frustration and churn. Players feel ignored by Epic’s lack of communication regarding the change, which was likely implemented to prevent exploitation of the new Rivalries leaderboard system, but they view the blanket removal as punitive rather than a targeted fix.
  • Specific Asks:
  • Revert the removal of bot lobbies entirely.
  • If bot lobbies remain disabled, create a distinct "Solo vs. Bots" playlist.
  • Disable Rivalry/Crown progression specifically within bot lobbies to prevent leaderboard cheating while preserving the casual experience.
  • Ensure seasonal content (e.g., sprites, challenges) is fully functional and rewarding in bot-only matches.
  • Whose Demand: This demand is driven overwhelmingly by ordinary players (casuals, parents, new users, and those with accessibility needs). Epic Partners are largely supportive of the request, often amplifying the community's frustration and suggesting technical compromises (like disabling rivalries in bot lobbies) to protect their own casual viewer bases and personal enjoyment. There is a clear divergence from competitive players who view bot lobbies as an exploit, but the volume of feedback heavily favors the casual demographic.
  • Recommendation: Engineering should implement a segmented matchmaking solution that allows for a "Casual/Practice" playlist with 100% bot opponents. Crucially, this mode must exclude progression for competitive metrics (Rivalries, Crowns) to maintain leaderboard integrity, while fully supporting Battle Pass and seasonal challenge completion. Product should issue a clear communication explaining that this mode exists to serve different player goals, validating the casual experience without compromising competitive integrity.

Who is asking

player 586epic_partner 51unknown 20
Earliest 10% of this ask: 2026-03-19 — latency is measured from here.

🔧 Closest config Epic actually shipped — from the implementation tracker (build 41.00). Similarity, not a verdict.

Enables the like/dislike rating option in the single-player exit flow.
cos 0.52
runtime_option ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
bEnableLikeDislikeOptionIn1PExitFlow=true
Engine/internal: Enables lazy loading for surface assets.
cos 0.50
runtime_option ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
bUseLazyLoadSurface=true
Updates the Code of Conduct link to point to the new Epic Games community rules page.
cos 0.50
runtime_option ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
AthenaCodeOfConductURL="https://legal.epicgames.com/en-US/epicgames/community-rules?mode=game"
Sign up on web and play to unlock additional in-game rewards! Top players on the leaderboard can win physical rewards like graphics cards, consoles and team merch.
cos 0.49
text_replacement ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
+TextReplacements=(Category=Game, Namespace="", Key="E999572B407F7C5755B41986C4E651C0", NativeString="Sign up on web and play to unlock additional in-game rewards! Top players on the leaderboard can win physical rewards like graphics cards, consoles and team merch.", LocalizedStrings=(("ar"," "),("en"," "),("de"," "),("es"," "),("es-419"," "),("fr"," "),("id"," "),("it"," "),("ja"," "),("ko"," "),("pl"," "),("pt-BR"," "),("ru"," "),("th"," "),("tr"," "),("vi"," "),("zh-hans"," "),("zh-Hant"," ")))
Adds the Spear Shawl (Rift variant) to the loot pool for the No-Build Battle Bus loadout.
cos 0.49
datatable_update ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
+DataTable=/TeaCakeLoot/DataTables/NoBuildBR/TeaCakeLoot_OverrideLootTierData_NoBuildBR;RowUpdate;Loot_BusLoadout_03;LootPackage;PKG_SpearShawl_RP
Restore health to squadmates or regain health
cos 0.49
text_replacement ++Fortnite+Release-41.00 · 2026-06-06
+TextReplacements=(Category=Game, Namespace="", Key="6C63A7344C9E8839E286518566F681AE", NativeString="Restore health to squadmates or regain health", LocalizedStrings=(("ar","استعد الصحة"),("en","Restore health"),("de","Kondition wiederherstellen"),("es","Recupera salud"),("es-419","Recupera vida"),("fr","Regagner des PV"),("id","Pulihkan HP"),("it","Ripristina salute"),("ja","体力を回復する"),("ko","체력 회복"),("pl","Przywróć zdrowie"),("pt-BR","Restaure Vida"),("ru","Восстановите здоровье"),("th","ฟื้นฟูพลังชีวิต"),("tr","Can doldur"),("vi","Hồi HP"),("zh-hans","恢复生命值"),("zh-Hant","恢復生命值")))

💬 The actual posts — top by engagement

@TimSweeneyEpic player → @blortzen
♥ 574 thread
@blortzen It’s Discord bots going bad -
@FrostyQuinn94 player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 249 thread
@FortniteStatus What about bot lobbies?
@FortniteFNLK epic_partner → @Fortnite
♥ 183 thread
@Fortnite BRING BACK BOT LOBBIES 🙏🏻 https://t.co/i7Byg6RJRo
@FoxyyChar epic_partner → @FortniteStatus
♥ 172 thread
@FortniteStatus Bring them back in bot lobbies.
@HausOf911 player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 164 thread
@FortniteStatus @FireMonkey put bot lobbies back please!! the game is so sweaty rn and we just wanna chill and complete quests
@HeadhunterBoi player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 153 thread
@FortniteStatus HOW ABOUT MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS INTO BOT LOBBIES??? https://t.co/jcNLshq1Bh
@fuller2007ethan player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 143 thread
@FortniteStatus Bring back bot lobbies; stop ignoring us.
@lolitzmild player → @Fortnite
♥ 121 thread
@Fortnite BRING BACK BOT LOBBIES https://t.co/xDGKEBXxQs
@Mariolxl1 player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 116 thread
@FortniteStatus @FireMonkey bring back bot lobbies, but disable the rival counter from working just like crown wins
@chromlit player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 105 thread
@FortniteStatus ok and now fix sbmm and bot lobbies because some of us have an actual life outside of fortnite and cba with some no life sweats ruining the experience thanks!
@Netarflow player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 97 thread
@FortniteStatus y’all hyped over 2 pixels of elf ear while epic still refuses to bring back bot lobbies so casuals can actually enjoy the game instead of getting farmed by 14-year-old aim gods. priorities are wild
@fari_xd player → @FortniteStatus
♥ 91 thread
@FortniteStatus FIX BOT LOBBIES https://t.co/ogkRdmKqrM
see all posts in this topic →