UnknownxArmy responds to aim assist controversy: "I've went days without it and still had crazy beams"

Dominick "UnknownxArmy" Green, a Fortnite pro who made his name as one of the best controller players in the game, has weighed into the aim assist debate claiming he still has "crazy beams" even when he is not using the feature.

In the past 6 months, UnknownxArmy has exploded in popularity having won a record seven Cash Cups through an aggressive playstyle called "w keying". 

However, there has been a question mark over his success because he uses a controller, with many claiming his ability to aggressively push opponents in 1v1's using the legacy controller settings give him an unfair advantage.

Meant to make aiming easier for controller players, aim assist has been a contentious issue in competitive Fortnite - with PC players claiming it effectively acts as an aimbot for controller players.

• Read more: The Best Controller Players in Fortnite

In leaked private messages between UnknownxArmy and The Fortnite Guy dated 19 February and reposted on /r/Fortnitecompetitive, Unknown weighed into the debate around aim assist.

In the exchange, UnknownxArmy says he doesn't "really have much of an opinion on aim assist". He went onto say, "It's not aim assist that's broken, it's analogue, and even then it's just a little better than keyboard and mouse".

Many keyboard and mouse players, and even controller players, would laugh at this suggestion - with many feeling the legacy controller settings is a borderline aimbot.

In the messages, UnknownxArmy states he believes his success comes down to more than aim assist: "I've spoken to multiple aim trainers and my aim is above most pros. I believe they just don't use their ARs enough to know the movement/behaviour patterns of people and the techniques."

UnknownxArmy has proven himself a top tier Fortnite player on whatever input method; in December he competed in a Cash Cup on KBM and finished 5th.

The Fortnite Guy who is the founder of Team Kungarna, the esport organisation that UnknownxArmy recently left in favour of NRG, also tweeted this video on 26 February seven days after the leaked conversation.

Clearly someone has a bit of a grudge.

UnknownxArmy's new org NRG Esports took the opportunity to poke fun at the debate in their announcement video.

Featuring their star-studded roster of Epikwhale, Benjyfishy, Zayt and Edgey, it shows the players sitting around a table when a suited man reveals they have signed a "hybrid player" - someone equally good on controller as KBM.

If anyone was unsure what Zayt's views are, it becomes obvious when he storms out exclaiming "you have got to be kidding me".

Controller players have become more and more dominant in competitive Fortnite, in February a controller player won the $100,000 Fortnite Summer Smash at the Australian Open, the first time a controller player won a major LAN event.

What has UnknownxArmy said in the past about aim assist on controller?

Unknown has conceded in the past aiming is easier on a controller. As a guest on Fortnite commentator Ballatw's YouTube on 12 December, he spoke candidly about the differences between controller and keyboard and mouse.

When asked about the controller aim assist in Fortnite compared to other games, he said: "In most games, it's just a slowing down effect, in Fortnite it's a pull thing." On the differences between bloom on controller and KBM he noted that on controller players "have the advantage on the first couple of shots."

• Read more: UnkownxArmy signs for NRG esports.

Asked specifically about whether legacy and "L2 spam" was fair he defended its use, stating: "Yeah, not on the AUG, but on every other gun it's fair. The other guns require a little bit of tracking but on AUG it's perfect."

The AUG's burst mode is particularly powerful with aim assist as the first 3 burst shots can down whoever is on the end of them.