Fortnite Removes Another Weapon, Here's Why

A new update is now available for Fortnite, which means players can now find some new items and content in both Battle Royale and Save the World modes. However, there's one weapon in particular that will no longer appear in the game--at least, for now.

Following Fortnite's 3.3 patch, smoke grenades have now been moved into the "Vault," effectively removing the item completely from Battle Royale. This doesn't necessarily mean that smoke grenades won't eventually return to the game, but for the time being, players will no longer be able to find them as loot during a match.

Epic explained that the reason smoke grenades are being moved into the Vault is because the items "are just not being used quite as much as we wanted them to." However, the developer says it may potentially rework and reintroduce the grenades to Battle Royale at some point in the future when it feels they're "ready."

Smoke grenades are the second weapon to be moved into the Vault thus far, after the SMG was removed from Battle Royale last month. "As we add more weapons, consumables, and other item types, we want to make sure that the balance of itemization isn't ruined," Epic said at the time. "Expect more items to be released (and likewise vaulted!) in the future. And of course, items will often come back out of the Vault when the timing is right."

While smoke grenades may be gone, a new weapon has taken their place in Battle Royale. Following the 3.3 update, players can now find and use remote explosives. As their name suggests, these can be placed on the map and detonated from a distance. The update also introduced Supply Llamas, a new form of loot drop that can be found hidden in unusual locations.