Epic Games Removes Winterfest Items, Grappler Included

Epic Games launched an update for Fortnite to start the new year. Because the Holidays have concluded, it is understandable for the company to remove all Winterfest items. However, what is baffling is that the Grappler is also included, which means that players no longer have access to it as it has been vaulted.

Why the Grappler?

The Grappler is a consumable item in Fortnite that lets players quickly traverse from one point to another. It was first introduced in Season 5 and got vaulted so many times. It was then unvaulted in an update that was released on December 20, but now, it seems that Epic Games has returned it to the vault once again.

There was no explanation as to why the Grappler was included along with the vaulting of Winterfest items. However, it is possible that the company removed it because the Grapple Blade is still in the game.

The Grapple Blade works similarly to the Grappler, albeit it acts as a melee weapon that players can use to whack their opponents as well.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Although it is frustrating for the fans of the Grappler that the consumable item got removed without prior notice, there are a couple of new items that were added in the recent update to make up for it, according to prominent Fortnite leaker, HYPEX. One is now available in the game, while the other item will be "officially" introduced at some point during the season.

Players who like to engage in mid-range combat can use the Enforcer AR. This assault rifle is not entirely new, but it was difficult to get a hold of since it was introduced in Chapter 5: Season 1.

The Enforcer can use multiple attachments, such as the P2X Optic for two times the magnification when aiming down sights, and the Speed Mag for a faster reload speed, among others.

Aside from the Enforcer, players can utilize the new consumable called FlowBerry Fizz once it becomes available. Fortnite content creator iFireMonkey gives a glimpse of what this new consumable item does.

Apparently, the FlowBerry Fizz sprays fizz around the user and gives up to 100 Shield to nearby allies before it runs out. It looks like the user cannot move while the consumable item still has some juice left, which can be a huge downside if their teammates do not provide cover.

Goodbye Winterfest

Winterfest 2023 was an event in Fortnite that added a bunch of new quests and items that players could obtain. However, the recent update deployed by Epic Games has removed the following Winterfest items from the game:

Sneaky Snowmando
Snowball Launcher
Ice Grappler
Snowy Flopper
Holiday Presents

Hopefully, players had the chance to obtain all of the above items when they were available in the game. Who doesn't want to use the Snowball Launcher to hurl slow-moving snowballs at their enemies, right?

So, what can you say about the Grappler being vaulted again? Also, will you be using the FlowBerry Fizz once it becomes available at some point?