You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here
Over the past seven and a half years, Epic Games has released numerous game modes in Fortnite. At first, the game developer started releasing limited-time game modes, such as 50v50. However, as time passed by and the battle royale title kept growing, Epic released a few more core modes.
In 2025, Fortnite has more than a handful of core game modes. While the game is still popular, attracting millions of daily players, keeping certain game modes simply doesn’t make sense. This is the case with the OG Ranked Zero Build mode, which was completely removed with the March 25 update. While this is sad news for some players, the truth is that the mode should have never been released.
Why Epic Games removed the least popular Zero Build mode in Fortnite
Fortnite does not need more than two ranked modes, yet for some reason, Epic Games keeps releasing new ones with seemingly every update. It culminated with the release of the Getaway Ranked mode, which has been a failure, to say the least.
The OG Ranked Zero Build mode was removed simply because of the lack of interest. The mode peaked at only 26,171 players and for a long period, it couldn’t surpass more than 1,000 concurrent players. Since this is a ranked mode, Epic uses a special matchmaking formula that takes into account players’ ranks. Due to this, it’s impossible to match up all the players who are queueing for a match at the same time.
Add to the equation eight different server regions, four different playlists, and a few more factors, such as crossplay, and it’s easy to see why the least popular Zero Build mode was removed from Fortnite. Filling an entire lobby was simply impossible, so getting rid of the mode was the right move on Epic Games’ end.
While having a plethora of game modes is good for the game, it also comes with a downside, as it negatively impacts other game modes. Players who used to queue for the removed Zero Build mode will now have to choose another Battle Royale mode, which will reduce the number of bots and improve matchmaking times.
With Fortnite’s ever-expanding growth, it’s clear that not every mode can sustain long-term interest, and some need to be sacrificed for the overall health of the game. Unfortunately, this also means that more modes will be removed in the future, but not the ones that are popular and attract players.
About the Author
Fortnite
- Platform(s): Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
- Genre(s): Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter
