Did the Medallions Get Nerfed in Fortnite?

With the introduction of Chapter 5 Season One, Fortnite players got access to the Medallion, an in-game item that adds a new mechanic to the game. These can be obtained by eliminating Boss NPCs spread across the map. Once a player acquires a medallion, they will slowly regenerate their shields over time, without using potions or any other materials. It did have a tradeoff as carrying Medallions will outline your location to your opponents through a large yellow circle appearing on the radar.

This item significantly changed the meta and was considered overpowered by many as it provided an unfair advantage in combat. Considering this, the devs reworked this new system to provide a balanced Fortnite experience. Let’s delve into it.

Fortnite Medallion Nerfs

As mentioned above, Medallions can be vital tools in the game, as they do not take up inventory slots and can help you slowly regenerate shields without needing any specific inputs. The game had a total of 5 Medallions such as:

• Valeria’s Medallion: Found in Reckless Railways

• Montague’s Medallion: Located in Grand Glacier

• Nisha’s Medallion: Spotted within Fencing Fields

• Oscar’s Medallion: Protects Lavish Lair

• Peter Griffin’s Medallion: Guards Snooty Steppes

This mechanic turned out to be pretty overpowered as it mostly eliminated the need to use potions. As a result, numerous players voiced their opinions which reached the devs, who have now nerfed this mechanic in the game.

As of 16th December, Medallions no longer refill 100% of your shields, unless you collect all five of them, which is quite difficult as you will have to scour through the entire map, as they are spread out across different regions. They will also have a short delay before they begin refilling your shields. To balance this out, they also reduced the size of the yellow circle that outlines your position to your enemies. These are the new shield regen rates for the Medallions:

• 1 Medallion Collected: Regenerates max shield value of 50

• 2 Medallions Collected: Regenerates max shield value of 60

• 3 Medallions collected: Regenerates max shield value of 70

• 4 Medallions Collected: Regenerates max shield value of 85

Although these nerfs drastically reduce their potential when compared to the original version, they are still worth collecting if you wish to always have some shields on you.