Fortnite’s ‘No Building’ Mode is Permanent

Epic recently turned off building in Fortnite’s default mode, a transformation explained by way of a complex story trailer that ends with a surprise arrival by Doctor Strange. The change was meant to be temporary, although we anticipated that a no-build mode could become a permanent possibility if it was popular.

We are not at all surprised that numerous dataminers have found evidence that Epic is in fact intending on keeping the no-building option around on a permanent basis. TweaBR said on March 21 that “the ‘No Builds’ LTM that will be available after 8 days will be called ‘Solo—No Build Battle Royale’.” There will also be no-building modes for Duos, Trios, and Squad as well.

➦ there will be (Solo, Duos, Trios & Squads) version too.

— Twea – Fortnite Leaks (@TweaBR) March 21, 2022

HypeX corroborated the claim a couple of days later, saying that there are “separate No-Building modes that they can enable anytime” after the LTM ends, and also that most loading screen tips have been changed to say, “In modes with building enabled.”

We said when the no-building mode was revealed that taking out a central element of the game might seem like a high-risk move, but Fortnite has flourished for years mostly on the strength of reinvention. It’s a battle royale, the same as PUBG, Apex Legends, and Warzone, and yet it’s a totally different type of experience—one in which any number of Marvel superheroes, Olympians, and/or hip hop stars can warp in and be on their way without anyone question anything. Changing it yet again actually fits well with the Fortnite formula, and it appears to be going well: Ahead of the leaks, many people on Reddit were already voicing hope that a no-build mode of some sort would become a permanent solution for the game.