Tfue and Cloak beat Baller at Fortnite Luxe Cup

This weekend’s Luxe Cup had a few surprises. It comes after a few major updates from Fortnite that been unpopular, to say the least. Over the course of the event, Tfue and Cloak from FaZe found and demonstrated a perfect counter to recently implemented item The Baller. The controversial addition has dominated the late game recently. It has provoked some frustration from fans. However, it now looks like there is a way to successfully stop the Baller.

The Baller item has dominated the late-game of Fortnite since its introduction. It gives players enhanced mobility with a grappling hook and a hefty shield for protection. Players who have practiced a little with the item can easily use it to hide until the late game. Up to this point, the best counter was to use a Baller yourself. Tfue and Cloak seem to have found a solution to the problem.

As with anything else in Fortnite, this solution relies entirely on RNG and lucking out when looting. In the late stage of a match at the weekend, Tfue and Cloak instigated a move that seems perfectly designed to stop those pesky ballers in their tracks. One player pulled a rocket launcher out and immediately fired a heavy shot on the Baller. This stopped it in its tracks and gave the other player an opportunity to throw out some boogie bombs. These bombs got the enemies out of the baller and dancing. It was then simple for Tfue and Cloak to take out the other team.

This is a good strategy for breaking the late game out of its current Baller showdown. However, it is quite dependent on finding the exact right items to make it a possibility. It also takes some coordination as the clip shows. This recent cup has shown how an unbalanced item like the Baller can complicate tournaments. It is interesting to watch new strategies like these develop from the addition of new items. However, the Ballers complete domination of the late game and the difficulty in pulling off manoeuvres like this do cause problems for the game’s balance.

The Luxe Cup was also taking place with the controversial changes that the v8.20 update. This update has seen its fair share of negative responses. In the last week, its impact has apparently become so severe that the biggest Fortnite streamers have switched to streaming Uno. This publicity stunt aside, it’s clear that the changes have divided the community. The Luxe Cup took place with a version of Fortnite has been roundly condemned by competitive players for upsetting the game’s balance and removing features that helped competitive play elevate itself above reliance on RNG.

Tfue and Cloak, while often coming out on top of major tournaments, didn’t place so well. This was partly due to technical problems costing them the game. They came in at 21st. Nate and another FaZe player, Funk, came in fourth. Aspect and Animal from the SEN team came out on top of this event. A first major tournament win for them. As the in-game events move towards qualifiers for the Fortnite World Cup, these players will be ones to watch.

Just won my first tourny ever with @AspectFN_ 💙 pic.twitter.com/dzRBpEH9Ve — Animal (@SEN_Animal) April 1, 2019

The Luxe Cup has demonstrated how weird tournaments play out when Fortnite is in a state of flux. Hopefully, Fortnite will be back in a state that competitive players are happy with by the time of the next event. In the meantime, tactics like those used by Tfue and Cloak might be the only way to reliably beat those who hide in Ballers.