Fortnite has disabled the Deku Smash item introduced as part of its My Hero Academia collaboration, sort of. Fortnite players are no strangers to Epic Games making a sudden decision to disable an in-game item or removing other content. Unforeseen glitches, balance upheavals, or other issues happen from time to time in a frequently-updated live-service game like Fortnite. The Deku Smash joins this list, though Fortnite players might still be able to use it in certain circumstances.
The Deku Smash was introduced with the start of Fortnite's My Hero Academia collaboration. The collaboration introduced a set of four premium My Hero Academia skins including Deku, All Might, Bakugo, and Ochaco. It also introduced the powerful Deku's Smash item to the battle royale, found in special All Might-themed crates. Lastly, there's a unique My Hero Academia island named the Hero Training Facility where teams battle each other and can earn special rewards.
Epic Games confirmed that the Deku's Smash item was being removed from Fortnite on Tuesday evening. Epic explained that there was an "issue" with the item, but didn't go into specific detail. Fortnite players who were playing Tuesday night may have noticed that Deku's Smash remained available in the battle royale well after the announcement. The change may have taken some time to roll out to Fortnite's servers. It now appears to be fully disabled, but it's possible some servers may still be catching up.
Deku's Smash isn't fully removed from Fortnite, however. It has only disappeared from Fortnite's battle royale modes. The Hero Training Facility remains fully operational, with Deku's Smash still a battle-deciding mid-match drop. It's unclear why Deku's Smash had to be removed entirely from the battle royale while it's still allowed in the custom game mode, but it implies that the issue is more complicated than a bug or technical issue.
The leading theory is related to a warning that now appears when the Hero Training Facility mode begins. Players are told the Deku's Smash could provoke a reaction in those with epilepsy, and then they have to agree to continue. Epic Games may have removed Deku's Smash from the battle royale due to potential legal liability, while it's less worried about the custom game mode.
One lingering question is whether Epic Games will be able to bring back Deku's Smash. Many Epic Games employees could be taking time off for the holiday, making a quick fix unlikely. Epic has been known to crunch, though, so it's possible employees will return to protect the My Hero Academia collaboration.
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