Up to 90 per cent of Fortnite OG players are reportedly bots as players complain of easy wins

Is your fellow Fortnite player real or AI? A new leak claims the game is riddled with bots - (Epic Games)

Few moments in gaming can match the euphoria of a Victory Royale in Fortnite; when you finally overcome 99 other players to become the last one standing. That is, until you discover that your so-called opponents weren’t actually human players.

Since 2019, Epic Games has been adding AI enemies to Fortnite matches, making the fiercely competitive game slightly less intimidating for newcomers. Once you get a few wins under your belt, they tend to dissipate in favour of real players.

However, the emergence of bots in the recently launched Fortnite OG, a throwback mode that takes Battle Royale back to its roots, hasn’t gone down well with fans. Players have been complaining that the bots pose no challenge; they’re slow, clunky and easy to pick off.

Now, a new leak details the staggering extent of Fortnite’s use of bots. During a match, players can expect to face up to 90 of the AI stand-ins on low to medium skill-based matchmaking (SBMM). Experts, on the other hand, will only go up against 10 bots in a match.

The leaked info comes from Osirion, a third-party coaching and analytics service for Fortnite, and has also been shared by prominent leaker HypeX.

While the stats may seem shocking at first glance, the fact is you’re probably not going to be in a bot-filled lobby unless you’re firing up the game for the first time. After all, the last thing you want as a newbie is to be thrust into a match dominated by harcore gamers who play to win.

BOTS IN FORTNITE OG INFO ‼️ [VIA @osirion_gg]

• 90 Bots in LOW SBMM (if you have no thumbs)
• 10-90 in MEDIUM SBMM
• 10 Bots in HIGH SBMM pic.twitter.com/cJ2FgE2OKD

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) December 7, 2024

Indeed, leakers claim Epic introduced bots because of an influx of skilled players returning to play Fortnite OG. That may explain why some fans have also been complaining about so-called sweats quickly dominating the game mode, ruining the fun for anyone else.

In the wake of the leaks, clips have started to circulate showing players encountering bots in the game. In one video, the AI behaves like a worker drone, mindlessly chipping away at a building while ignoring an approaching human player, only to get easily downed.

Apparently, bots have been added to Fortnite OG...

Worst thing they could have done IMO, but I guess it's more fun for people to play against bots with the skills of a baby

(via @bsavrchill & @Loolo_WRLD) pic.twitter.com/zEvttWQmeq

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) December 7, 2024

Epic Games has yet to comment on the use of bots in Fortnite OG, though it did announce that it had made matchmaking improvements to the mode shortly after its launch late last week.

It previously said that bots “behave similarly to normal players and will help provide a better path for players to grow in skill”, adding that “as your skill improves, you’ll face fewer bots”.