Fortnite removes Mammoth Pistol and more from tournaments

Massive changes have arrived to Fortnite's tournament landscape ahead of a stacked stretch of events in March. Without notice or explanation, Epic Games has removed three items from the Fortnite tournament loot pool: the Mammoth Pistol: Fletcher Kane's Double Down Pistol, and the Falcon Eye Sniper.

Here is what this means for the competitive scene and how players have reacted to the change.

Competitive Fortnite players have been vocal about the Mammoth Pistol since it re-entered the loot pool in Chapter 6 Season 2. This weapon is powerful in most hands, but especially in the hands of the best players in the world.

Professional scrims and tournaments featured many players utilizing this weapon to earn relatively easy Storm Surge tags. However, it's also dangerous up close. The ability to land a shot with a Mammoth Pistol and quickly swap to a Shotgun or another weapon created a low risk, high reward situation.

Epic Games heard the concerns of competitive players and acted accordingly. In addition to the Mammoth Pistol, Fortnite has also removed Fletcher Kane's Double Down Pistol, which is the Mythic variant of the Mammoth Pistol, and the Eagle Eye Sniper.

While not as concerning, Epic Games typically removes Snipers from the loot pool, so this change is unsurprising.

Multiple-time Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) Champion Serdar "Muz" Telim positively responded to the Mammoth Pistol's removal alongside many other players. Muz publicly voiced his frustration with the weapon on Feb. 24, which likely contributed to Epic's decision.

Many players and personalities, including Cody "Clix" Conrod, have praised the change, thanking Epic Games for saving competitive Fortnite in Chapter 6 Season 2. Tournaments are already underway this season, with the seasonal FNCS due to begin on March 5.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite and esports news!