Bots are back in Fortnite OG, can you remove them?

Ivan Frigato Published December 9, 2024

The addition of bots into Fortnite OG has many wondering if there’s a way to remove them from their matches.

Bots have always been present in Fortnite, and are sometimes even a desired feature. However, they may have become a bigger issue than usual. The long-awaited Fortnite OG mode returned alongside the Japanese mythology-themed Chapter 6 to a concurrent 1.3 million player peak. Players can now access original maps, game mechanics, and loot pools not seen since 2017. Although quite popular, some players are running into unexpected bot-related issues in their matches.

Here’s why fans are finding more bots in Fortnite OG as well as if there’s any way to kick them.

Why are there more bots all of a sudden?

Fortnite developers increased the amount of bots in the game to try and level the playing field for the OG mode.

A number of features were added back to try and simulate the feeling of Fortnite Chapter 1. These include the readdition of Duos, updated matchmaking in playlists, and the return of Zero Build mode. Yet the new changes seemingly have also increased the amount of bots players are facing. Specifically, many are holding skill-based matchmaking responsible for the bot increase among casual players. Some popular Fortnite content creators like Shiina report that lower-level matches may have as many as 90 bots for 10 players to defeat.

On the one hand, adding in more bots for low-level players allows for an easy way to grind and gain XP without being wiped out by more experienced players. Others argue that the game has become too easy and lost all stakes, making it significantly less fun to play. Fans like these are now looking for ways to remove bots from their Fortnite OG matches.

Can you remove bots in Fortnite?

Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward way to remove bots from the game.

There are a couple of things to try to at least reduce the amount of bots per match. Players in higher-skill matchmaking brackets have reported seeing fewer bots in their matches. One roundabout way to remove bots could then be to level up in Fortnite OG as quickly as possible. Switching off mobile or Nintendo Switch may also help, as the system often interprets players on these platforms as less skilled and adds more bots. Additionally, playing at the most popular times of the day will increase the pool of real people Fortnite can pull from when making a playlist.

Though it provides less of a challenge, the bots are at least easily killable and can increase the amount of points that players get in a small amount of time. They can be identified by their slow movement, tendency to run in straight lines, and general bot-like behavior that a normal person wouldn’t do. Just make sure to avoid those that are carrying pickaxes.

Epic Games hasn’t said anything so far about the high presence of bots in Fortnite OG yet. If the backlash across social media platforms is anything to go by, the developer may have a decision to make about the future of skill-based matchmaking.