Fortnite: Battle Royale Mode is Getting Some New Updates in the Horizon

The Battle Royale genre has taken off like I wouldn’t have expected. PUBG was the biggest game that got attraction because of the quick matches and realistic shooting and gunplay. Shorty, after months of release we saw PUBG become the biggest game in 2017. Being this successful, it was just a matter of time before someone else cashed-in with the Battle Royale genre.

Here comes Epic the makers of the Unreal Engine and oddly enough – the engine that PUBG was developed under. Epic’s Fortnite is just as surprising as PUBG in terms of player base with Fortnite surpassing 3.4 million concurrent players just ahead of PUBG. Now that Fortnite has this massive player based, Epic needs to update and change some of its problems (shooting, map, communication, etc.)

Epic released a “State of Development” post on their website. There are a couple big changes and additions that will make the game feel fresh with new game modes, better optimization for console players, and season 3 Battle Pass changes. Epic doesn’t state when the update will be released but from reading the post, it seems like they’re going to roll out some of the additional changes with the weapon and consumable – but expect them to be changed throughout development as they want to test them before finalizing the items in-game.

Later in the month Epic plans to add an optional 60 FPS mode for all consoles (PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One X). This addition is wonderful for players console players that enjoy PC optimization – really who wouldn’t. As someone who primarily plays on PC, the 60 FPS option makes me more incline to play the console version.

The Battle Pass is a great idea for a game like Fortnite. Paying for a season will entice you to always be playing and earning unique cosmetic rewards. Some of them are hit and miss but the hits are wonderfully designed and hard to resist. Season 2 of the Battle Pass has ended and that means Season 3 is here. Epic has heard some of the concerns with the daily challenge and has decided to change things up in Season 3.

Epic stated, “we’re adding flexibility by replacing the second daily challenge with a new weekly system. Battle Pass owners will unlock a new bundle of quest each week of the season which can be completed any time before the end of the season.”

This Battle Pass is something I don’t think PUBG will adopt, they’re making their microtransaction cash from loot boxes and keys which feels more predatory than the Battle Pass. The Battle Pass addition makes Fortnite feel more like a video game, like your working towards a goal as to PUBG where you play for the fun of it.

The biggest addition to Fortnite are the “Limited Time Modes” (LTM) Epic States that this is at top of their priority stack. They’ve been adjusting existing modes and creating new modes using “data points” (including player feedback). They’re plan is to release a dozen or so LTMs. Some LTMs will be more straightforward (Sniper Shootout, Sneaky Silencer, etc.) These modes were testing grounds for their new Shooting models. With all these planned, Epic has everything it needed to make internal improvements, so they can introduce more complex LTMs – they use an example of “floor is lava”.

Modes that are planned to run in the next month:

•         Blitz Mode (shorter matches)
•         Drop into the first circle
•          Team sizes in between 50v50 and squads
•       50v50 v2   

o   Split to start

o   Converge on Battle

o   Bus for each team

o   See all your squadmates on the map

o   More supply drops

o   Closer to the 50v50 Trailer experience

Players compare Fortnite Battle Royale to PUBG and for the most part, aspects of Fortnite was influence by PUBG. However, as updates to Fortnite continues the more distance between the two game grows apart. The Battle Pass was the first sign of that and now Fortnite are getting more than just the Battle Royale mode.

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Fortnite has been through so much, finally being in the public with the initial early access launch after years in the making, just to be put in the back. That was until Epic decided to pivot into another direction and created a PvP Battle Royale mode.

From then they’ve been hitting homeruns with 3.4 million concurrent players and 45 million players. Just overcoming PUBG's numbers.

With crazy numbers, comes more updates and in return – those numbers will grow even more with every Seasonal Battle Pass and silly game modes. If the game modes rotate at a steady and spread out pace every week it can feel like a fresh experience whether that be joining a normal battle royale match or joining a 50v50 team death match. The Battle Royale genre is still new in its infancy so any innovation on the genre is welcome – bad or good.