Ghost Bizzle qualifies for Fortnite World Cup without any guns

In a move that was both a criticism of Fortnite’s current rules and a brazen bit of showboating, Ghost Bizzle has qualified for the Fortnite World Cup without using a gun. Despite having already qualified for the tournament, this move was more meant to prove a point about the ongoing problems with the metagame. It also provided a fun exploration of some mechanics in the game that aren’t as prominent in high-level play, like using survival tactics to outlast opponents rather than rack up eliminations.

Bizzle secured his spot in the upcoming Fortnite tournament in the very first week of openers. Clearly, this has left him with a lot of time on his hands. Rather than using this break time to hone his skills or practise for the World Cup, Bizzle has decided to use it to make a broad statement about the rules and format of the tournament. This is a demonstration of the problems he sees with the game’s current format, which he has previously branded in plain terms as ‘shit’.

Joke of a qualifier, shit format that doesn't show who the best teams are, gotta love @EpicGames — Bizzle (@Ghost_Bizzle) June 2, 2019

To demonstrate this point, Bizzle spent the last qualifying round of the Fortnite World Cup playing without a gun. He stocked up on throwable items and multiple items that allowed him to make quick escapes. He then entered a Baller and spent the bulk of the game in the now infamous vehicle. It seemed to work. He won a few games in a row using this strategy, beating those other high-skill players who had also reached this late round of qualification.

He was eventually proven right and managed to come out on top of yet another qualifier, all without firing a single shot. It is an impressive way to make a point, but coming this late into the qualifying tournament it is unlikely that Epic will take any action to address the criticism, although the backlash may affect their future tournament formats.

Is a peaceful run the way forward?

Bizzle’s stunt has given him plenty of attention and his point has been well-made. However, mobility items and throwables are some of the most important currency in the game. Bizzle’s tactics may have been unorthodox, but plenty of high-level competitive players already rely heavily on these items to give them an advantage.

Far from proving the far-reaching problems with Fortnite’s current content and format, Bizzle may have just pointed out that competitive players aren’t properly utilising all that is in the game. Throwables and mobility items have always been an important part of the gameplay. While gunplay is also present, Fortnite isn’t made to be played like PUBG or Call of Duty. These items, like Rifts to go and Ballers, very much fit into Epic’s view of the game, and they are what a lot of players really enjoy about Fortnite.

Bizzle’s peaceful route to the world cup even provided a pretty entertaining stream. Since he had the time free to play around with mechanics, it will be interesting to see if these alternative tactics influence any other competitive players’ and their strategies for the tournament. However, it is rightfully unlikely to make Epic change the format to fit a limited view of the game.