I have been playing Fortnite for years now. In 2026, it is still the live-service game I open several times a week, chasing battle pass levels and whatever bizarre crossover Epic Games has cooked up next. Celebrities feel distant from us normal players. They have millions, private jets, and red carpets. But deep down, a lot of us share one thing: we are all gamers. Sometimes we are even Fortnite gamers. That is why I found the whole Doja Cat versus bending powers saga so funny and so relatable.
Back in Chapter 5 Season 2, Fortnite went full Avatar: The Last Airbender. The event added bending powers that let you throw earth, water, fire, and air around like you were born in the Four Nations. It was chaotic. It was unbalanced. It was exactly the kind of messy fun that keeps me coming back. Earthbending was briefly banned because players could deal damage through solid structures and terrain. Even after fixes, it had a brutally generous lock-on that let you chunk health from long range without really aiming. Waterbending turned into a shotgun and a sniper at the same time. Airbending was a get-out-of-jail-free card that launched you across the map with no fall damage. And the Chains of Hades? Those things could pull a player toward you at incredible speed and deal 80 damage to health or shields with a swing or two. If you had rare loot and still got yanked into oblivion, yeah, I get why you would be miffed.
Here is a quick breakdown of the most complained-about tools from that era:
| Item or power | Why it felt unfair | Why I still used it |
|---|---|---|
| Earthbending | Damage through builds, generous lock-on | Easy chip damage and zone control |
| Waterbending | Worked as both shotgun and sniper | I could poke and punish from anywhere |
| Airbending | Free escape, no fall damage | Perfect for third-partying and running away |
| Chains of Hades | 80 damage, hook pull | Pulling campers out of cover was too satisfying |
Doja Cat was not happy. She took to Twitter to complain about casuals who were using bending powers instead of an assault rifle like a real gamer would. She called waterbenders losers with no actual skills. Look, I am not gonna pretend I am some elite pro. I have done my fair share of waterbending, and it was pretty damn powerful if you knew how to use it. The aim was generous, the cooldowns were short, and reloads were fast. Sometimes carrying a bunch of elemental powers was better than hunting for high-level loot. Don't @ me. It was a blast. 🎮
But that was then. By 2026, most of those bending powers are long vaulted. The Avatar event ended, Fallout and Mad Max flavored seasons came and went, and Fortnite kept doing what it does best: changing everything up. That is the deal with live-service games. Epic Games is not afraid to add abilities that are slightly broken or unbalanced if players are having fun. If that means annoying a popstar for a few weeks, so be it. The game moves on. New seasons bring new toys, new crossovers, and new reasons to argue on social media.
Honestly, that is why I still play. I am not here for perfect balance. I am here for the moments when a friend and I are screaming because a waterbending sweat just sniped us from across the map, or because I yanked someone with the Chains of Hades and immediately got third-partied. Fortnite in 2026 is still a treadmill, but it is a fun treadmill. I will keep grinding battle passes, keep learning whatever weird mechanic the next season drops, and keep reminding myself that even celebrities are just gamers underneath the fame. 💥
Maybe Doja Cat was right. Maybe bending took less skill than a good assault rifle. But Fortnite has never been just about skill. It is about chaos, spectacle, and shared nonsense. If that means I occasionally get destroyed by a casual with a water whip, I will take the L and queue up again. After all, we are all gamers here. Even the ones with Grammys. 🥶