Fortnite Has Nerfed Darth Vader

In a sentence I bet you weren't expecting to read, Epic Games has decided to nerf the Darth Vader NPC in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2.

Vader is one of the toughest bosses Fortnite players have come across, terrorising them every time a new Star Wars collaboration came about. This time, things were a bit more hectic and it seems Epic overtuned the iconic villain this time around.

With a recent hotfix that specifically targeted the NPC boss, it was reported that Vader had both his HP and shields reduced, going from 700 to 550 each. It's a substantial nerf, there's no denying it, but he still has a large 1,100 HP players will have to deal with if they want to defeat him.

Dealing with a tanky Sith Lord was particularly annoying for players as, sadly, the only way to get a lightsaber in the Chapter 5 Season 2 event is by defeating Vader, as none of the other sabres made their way to Fortnite this year.

Credit: Epic Games

Between how hard was to beat and how crowded the location to find Darth Vader got when the event was just starting, this has incentivised players to outright ignore the NPC, as it just doesn't make sense to waste time and resources trying to take him down if the reward just isn't as attractive, especially considering that things like the Chains of Hades are one of the best melee weapons in the game.

Even the Star Wars x Fortnite 2024 quests don't require players to wield a lightsaber to complete any of them, instead shifting focus to a brand-new weapon from a galaxy far far away that joined the battle royale - the Wookie Bowcaster.

In fact, many people are opting to instead try and save Chewbacca, as not only you'll be getting your own Wookie Bowcaster but an excellent co-pilot, as Chewie will join you if you help him take down an Imperial Roadblock.

Will you be trying to take down a nerfed Vader during the final days of the event? If so, you might want to do it in style, so check out how to get the Lando Calrissian skin in Fortnite.