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Battle royale shocked as Fortnite Shockwave Hammer disabled

Epic Games has disabled the Shockwave Hammer in Fortnite and we can't say we're too shocked about it; here's why and what you need to know about this weapon

Fortnite Shockwave Hammer disabled exploit: an image of a skin from the battle royale shooter

10/01/2023 The Shockwave Hammer has been re-enabled and the issue resolved, for now.

Epic Games’ Fortnite is, without a doubt, one of the wildest battle royale games available right now – and we’re not just saying that because of this shooter’s crazy collaborations. Weapons are always one of the most important aspects of a battle royale game and this title isn’t any different. When you look at the weapons available in Fortnite, almost all of which are original creations from Epic Games, there really are some incredible ways for you to eliminate your opponents. However, they’re not always perfect. A prime example of this is the Fortnite Shockwave Hammer; this new weapon is a lot of fun to play around with, but Epic Games has already disabled the Shockwave Hammer from Fortnite, and here’s why.

In the last handful of days, battle royale players have found that there’s a way for you to make Fortnite “unplayable” using a Shockwave Hammer exploit. As disgruntled Twitter user ‘Jack M‘ explains, all players need to do is time an attack with the Shockwave Hammer for exactly when they hit a body of water in-game.

If timed correctly, this then triggers an unusual glitch that applies the buffed bouncing of the Shockwave Hammer’s jump to every single jump the player performs; meanwhile, they can still attack their enemies with this devastating weapon.

You might not think that a glitch affecting a traversal mechanic is particularly game-breaking, but – when you see it in action – it’s easy to see why Fortnite fans are frustrated with Epic Games’ battle royale. For example, hobby streamer ‘LizzyTheNoob‘ encountered two players making use of the Fortnite Shockwave Hammer glitch and it doesn’t look like fun at all.

If you look at the third tip in this short tips video from Fortnite content creator ‘Dagwummy’, you’ll see what we’re on about:

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For a more indepth look at how this exploit was actually replicated, before the Shockwave Hammer was disabled in Fortnite, you can check out this tutorial video from Fortnite content creator ‘SnoozeFN’ here:

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If you have been unlucky enough to find someone utilizing this exploit when you drop into one of the best Fortnite landing spots for Chapter 4 Season 1, you’ll know that it’s almost impossible to contend with.

We know Fortnite is one of the best battle royale games out there right now, but you have to wonder if it’s all a little much. When you take into consideration that this is the third significantly problematic thing in Fortnite this season (alongside the Deku Smash and the hurdling mechanic), it’s hard to shake the feeling that Fortnite is starting to get a little bloated – and the battle royale is going to start suffering more and more as a result of that.

At the time of writing, the Fortnite Shockwave Hammer has been disabled for roughly ten hours. Fortnite Status has confirmed that Epic Games’ intent is to re-enable this weapon in the next Fortnite game update – when the issue has been sorted out.