Epic Games clearly wants Fortnite to be everything and anything, and its newest gamemode appears to be a move into the competitive FPS space.
I know Fortnite is inherently competitive, given the whole number one victory royale, yeah Fortnite we ’bout to get down thing, but Epic has just announced a new mode that is going back to the basics when it comes to shooters: Ballistic. This new “Fortnite experience” as Epic likes to call it puts you in a “round-based 5v5 competitive game mode where strategy, tactical teamwork, and individual prowess are essential for victory.” The big thing here is that unlike the battle royale mode, this one is entirely in first-person, an obviously big shake-up for the ridiculously popular shooter.
“In Ballistic, players are sorted into two teams at the start of the match: attackers and defenders,” Epic explains. “Attackers aim to plant a reality-tearing Rift Point Device at one of two sites on the map, while defenders do their best to thwart the device from being planted and detonated. There are no respawns in Ballistic – a round is over if the Rift Point Device explodes, or either team is fully eliminated. After 6 rounds, players will swap sides, giving defenders a chance to be attackers and vice-versa. The game is over when either team has won 7 rounds total!”
It sounds like speed is the aim of the game here, with each game starting players off with a Ranger Pistol and 800 credits. “In Ballistic, Credits can be earned from scoring eliminations and planting the Rift Point Device, and spent within a match at the beginning of every round on additional items and weapons to bolster your chances of success.” Think Valorant or Counter-Strike, essentially. There’s also both ranked and unranked options, but this mode is an early access type deal, so don’t expect everything to be smooth off the bat.
If this sounds like your bag, you don’t have long to wait, as it’s set to launch in just a few days time on December 11. I only wonder what genre Fortnite will come for next – my bet’s fighting games.
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