Clear your schedule for the evening because this week’s Fortnite update is a big one!
Epic has given us two new game modes to enjoy — including the long-awaited Playground mode — plus Battle Royale’s first dual pistols. It has also made a whole host of big improvements and tweaks to gameplay and performance.
Fortnite is changing the video game industry with its free-to-play approach to Battle Royale and its weekly content updates that ensure there’s always something new to try. It is also incredibly keen to listen to its fans and give the community what it wants.
This week’s update will have you itching to play as soon as you can.
Fortnite picks up Playground mode
Playground mode is the big addition, and it’s something we’ve been looking forward to for months. It’s a limited-time game mode that puts four players into a “low-pressure environment” where they can practice their Battle Royale skills.
Photo: Epic Games
All the weapons and items you’d find in regular Battle Royale matches are available, but each match lasts for one hour, giving you plenty of time to train, build, and let your creativity run wild.
Friendly fire is on so that squad mates can fight against each other, and resources are granted at 10 times the normal rate. Chests and ammo boxes also spawn 100 percent of the time, and there are 100 Loot Llamas to collect at the beginning of every match.
That means you’ll never be short of weapons or resources, and if you get eliminated by another player, you’ll respawn instantly so that you can get right back into the action.
Double tap with dual pistols
Today’s update also brings dual pistols in epic and legendary variants, with 41-43 base damage. They use medium ammo and can be found in floor loot, chests, and supply drops.
Both pistols fire when you pull the trigger for maximum damage, which makes the dual pistols ideal in close-range gun fights.
Epic has also made some changes to the SMGs. You’ll no longer find first-shot accuracy on the tactical SMG, but its base accuracy has been increased by 25 percent and its overall damage has been increased by two points. The silenced SMG has also seen its accuracy increased by 10 percent and its damage increased again by two points.
The shotgun nerf continues this week with ammo now dropped in stacks of four instead of five. What’s more, shotgun damage to structures has been decreased by 50 percent for the pump and 25 percent for the tactical and heavy.
Final Fight in teams of 12
As if Playground mode wasn’t enough, Epic has also added Final Fight. It’s similar to standard Battle Royale, only you play in teams of 12 and the storm stops closing in part way through the match.
When the circles have finished closing in, the final countdown timer begins and the remaining teams battle it out until the game ends. The team with the most players remaining when the timer is up wins.
This update also improves performance across all devices, and fixes a number of bugs. On mobile, Epic has added settings for low power mode, improved the touch controls, and reset the touch rotation sensitivity. No, there’s still no controller support on iOS.
One nice addition is the ability to see teammates’ markers in the Battle Royale world so that it’s easier to meet in the same place. One disappointing change is that Epic has removed the ability to see through structures in edit mode; selected blocks are now opaque.
Photo: Epic Games
For the complete list of changes — there are tons of them — check out the patch notes on the Fortnite blog. You can then download this week’s update on your chosen devices and jump into the action to enjoy all that’s new.
