Fortnite's v24.40 update went live today and brought some exciting changes along with it. It has also done something that has angered a lot of you though as Trios has been unexpectedly vaulted. There is officially no way to play Fortnite in a team of three starting today as Trios appears to have made way for ranked in both the core battle royale and Zero Build modes.
Ranked can be toggled on and off in Solo, Duos, and Squads in Fortnite's regular BR mode, and is limited to just Duos in Zero Build. However, not only is ranked not an option for those of you wanting to play in a team of three, Trios has been removed entirely. No explanation from Epic as to why that was a necessary sacrifice to make, and many of you have been voicing your concerns since the mode was vaulted.
SafalinEnthusiast effectively broke the news to a lot of players via Fortnite's subreddit as Epic didn't really shout about Trios being vaulted. Evidence that it probably knew the decision would be an unpopular one with a lot of players. The OP has questioned what players with two teammates are supposed to do now. Either leave someone behind, play Squads at a disadvantage with a team of three, or play Squads with a random fourth which isn't always ideal.
They have also questioned who exactly benefits from this. Certainly not the players as those who like Trios are now annoyed, and those who don't won't even notice it's gone. It's also unclear how it benefits Epic unless it desperately needs the server space, which seems unlikely.
What makes the removal of Trios even more annoying for those who use it is how long many of them had to lobby for it in the first place. The ability to play in a team of three was passed over by Epic for a very long time, and even when it was eventually added to the mix, it was only an LTM at first. Some have hypothesized its addition was a reaction to Apex Legends' popularity which started life as a trios-only battle royale, but now it is no longer a threat to Fortnite's BR crown, because nothing is, Epic has decided to drop three-person teams.
Even if that theory holds some weight, it still doesn't explain why Epic is so against Trios becoming a permanent Fortnite option. Hopefully it has only been vaulted for a short time and it'll be back soon. On the bright side, those missing Trios can cheer themselves up by jumping into a different mode and picking up some web shooters. The mythic Spider-Man item is back after more than a year away.