Dozens of pro Fortnite players have blasted Epic Games and some members of the competitive community after ‘double movement’ keybinds were seemingly removed from the game.
Double movement is essentially a strategy used by mouse and keyboard players to give them the same style of movement that controller players can achieve using thumbsticks. This video breaks it down pretty well, but in essence, players bind two different keys to the same movement action in order to move at different angles as they’d be able to with single movement keys.
While this method has been around for a while, Epic now appears to have removed double movement in the latest Fortnite patch, v14.50. However, the changes look to be left out of any official communications. Following the update, players are still able to bind two separate keys to the same movement, but they can no longer ‘stack’ the inputs to achieve the diagonal running angle and sharper movements.
Pro players have now hopped on to the new patch incensed that they can’t use double movement. The likes of Benjy ‘Benjyfishy’ Fish and Mack ‘MackWood’ Aesoph have taken to social media to vent their frustrations, claiming that the decision makes months of practice redundant and gives controller players more of an advantage.
there goes 3 months of practice 😀👍
— benjyfishy (@benjyfishy) November 3, 2020
Why the FUCK would they take double movement away from keyboard as if controller movement isnt broken enough already. so fucking stupid. I knew the game was in too good of a state rn they always find a way to mess shit up. unbelievable
— TSM MackWood (@MackWood1x) November 3, 2020
The removal of double movement appears to be as a result of an increase in players using illegal third-party software like macros, which can map multiple key presses to just one action. The lack of communication around its removal could suggest that this is some form of bug with the latest patch and was unintentional, however there’s been no confirmation either way from Epic just yet.
The change also comes just a week after 2019 Worlds Cup Solos champion Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf caused a stir by revealing he modified his keyboard with plastic and duct tape to achieve double movement more easily, which prompted accusations of cheating.
Some of the outraged Fortnite pros are blaming both the macro cheats and eve Bugha himself for getting double movement seemingly removed.
Thanks for cheating bro no more double movement @bugha
— NRG Zayt (@zayt) November 3, 2020
say thank you to all the people who used key remapper and tape/hot glue and got double movement removed!!! thanks guys!!! 😃😃😃😃😃
— Liquid Stretch (@Stretched) November 3, 2020
The Fortnite community has been locked in a tribal mouse and keyboard versus controller debate for a long time now, with both parties arguing over the advantages each input has. The decision to move double movement from mouse and keyboard players’ arsenals will stoke that debate up once again.
Epic is yet to confirm or acknowledge the removal of double movement, so it is still not totally clear whether it was intentional or accidental.
