Fortnite developer Epic Games has started to roll out its new matchmaking system, and with it start dropping players from different platforms into matches with one another.
That particular cross-platform aspect of the matchmaking changes has some players concerned that different control schemes will give players a platform-based advantage, but Epic explains in a new blog post that its system was built to account for this.
The post itself is brief, but offers a look at how Epic is dealing with one tricky balancing concern developers need to keep in mind as more and more platform holders greenlight cross-platform multiplayer play.
“With the rollout, we’ve seen a lot of discussion about potentially unfair competitive advantages from pooling players together across platforms and input devices. The new matchmaking system, however, accounts for various skill levels across different platforms and control inputs, and groups players of similar skill levels together,” explains Epic. “Our goal with the new matchmaking system is to create fairer matches for all of our players, which includes special considerations for each platform.”
The post explains that the system looks first at player skill, and as such players on one platform, say mobile, might be still matched up against players on PC, Switch, or other consoles. Likewise, players using mouse and keyboard, a controller, or touch input all have a chance to match up with one another because the system is built to analyze and prioritize an individual player’s skill when matchmaking.
“We are closely monitoring match analytics and your feedback, and we’ll make adjustments to ensure everyone is playing a fair match,” writes Epic.