Fortnite Nerfs Darth Vader

Darth Vader may be the most feared Sith Lord in the galaxy, but Fortnite players might have an easier time battling him after a new update. Fortnite recently celebrated Star Wars Day with a host of new content across all its different game modes, allowing fans to build iconic vehicles on a new Island in LEGO Fortnite, rock out to classic Star Wars tunes in Fortnite Festival, or tear up the tracks in cars themed after Darth Maul and Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer in Rocket Racing.

The traditional Fortnite Battle Royale has also brought back its Darth Vader boss fight from Chapter 3, Season 3 back in 2022 for this year’s Star Wars festivities, meaning that players can find and challenge the infamous Dark Lord of the Sith on the island of Piney Lane. Those who best Vader and his small Stormtrooper escort will be able to use his signature red Lightsaber in Fortnite, but this is easier said than done due to the fallen Anakin Skywalker’s powerful Force abilities. In fact, many Fortnite players have complained that Vader might be too tough to beat, and it looks like Epic Games agrees with them.

As discovered by Fortnite insider and Twitter user HYPEX earlier this week, Fortnite’s Darth Vader boss encounter has been nerfed following a recent hotfix. Whereas the Sith Apprentice once had 700 Health and 700 Shield for a total of 1,400 health, he now has just 550 in each bar. This sets Vader at 1,100 overall health, a good 300 points less than he had before the latest patch.

Players have until May 14 to defeat Darth Vader and obtain his Lightsaber in Fortnite Battle Royale. So far, this year’s Fortnite Star Wars event has been seen by many as a step down from 2023’s May 4 Battle Pass, despite the latest festivities spanning all of Fortnite’s alternate game modes. One particular fan complaint came from the unlockable Yoda Backbling cosmetic, which was recently removed from the Item Shop due to causing crashes when paired with the Zoidberg Scuttle emote.

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