An Interview with Fortnite Dream Job Winner Erick Garcia: Faster Internet Changed His Game

New Jersey gamer and popular Twitch streamer Erick Garcia, who’s known as “Bang” for his skills in Halo and Fortnite, was our lucky winner for the 2019 Fortnite Summer Dream Job on HighSpeedInternet.com. He was chosen from over 5,000 applicants.

The challenge

Part of Erick’s job was to test his Fortnite gaming experience with his previous speed and equipment and compare it to his performance with the new equipment and speed. We gave Erick this Nighthawk router, along with a new Xfinity internet package with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

After he finished testing, we caught up with Erick to find out how faster internet affected his play. So, what does our Fortnite champion think about gigabit internet? Spoiler alert: he loves it.

Speed makes a difference

Erick says that the new internet connection has definitely improved his game. “Every second counts, especially in such a fast-paced game like Fortnite,” he said. “Gaming on my previous connection, I would often get ‘lag spikes’ that would end up getting me killed midgame.” 

“Before, after building up really high in Fortnite, I would often lag off my builds and fall to my death. This no longer happens. With faster internet, I am more successful in BRs (Battle Royales). Also, the building aspect of the game became much more fluid and smooth.”

Better game or just better internet?

Erick says that there a few ways you can tell if an opponent has faster internet than you in Fortnite. One indicator is that if you turbo build, another player can replace your walls superfast. Rather than being the mark of a highly skilled player, he says, this is “usually a sign of faster internet.” 

Erick found the difference between his old and new internet was most apparent when he tried replacing enemy walls. “Replacing enemy walls went from something that was almost impossible to something that was easily done.”

Ping rate cut in half

He kept track of his ping rate (or latency) with his old internet speed and then tested it again with the new speed. A higher ping means a slower reaction time. If you have a high enough ping, you’ll see other players hopping from one spot to another, or your shots just won’t hit the targets. 

With his old internet, Erick’s ping rate while in Creative Mode was 20 and around 40–50 in Battle Royale. “The best improvement with the internet is most certainly the improvement to my ping,” he said. “My ping in creative mode is now 0. While in a BR (Battle Royale) it stays around 20.” 

For those who are new to gaming, Erick explained what these numbers really mean. “Ping is extremely important in this game because it is what allows you to obtain an edge on your opponent. Being milliseconds faster is important at high-level gameplay,” he said. “With the new internet connection, I now have little to no issues with lag during the game, which in turn keeps me alive longer.”

Speed is for winners

Erick says that he’d recommend his new Xfinity Gigabit internet plan (with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps) to other competitive gamers. “For a casual gamer, they might not see the difference. But for someone who plays every day—and plays to win—I would most definitely recommend faster internet like mine.”

He says the cost was one factor that kept him from upgrading to a faster internet plan in the past. But now that he’s seen what it’s like, it feels more worth it. “I also never knew how much of a difference upgrading could make. Now that I can see the difference, it would be hard to switch back to my old internet.”