Fortnite. Love it or loathe it, those eight letters spell a word that is on everybody’s lips, and has been for nearly two whole years now. And this week, more than ever, the popular battle royale experience has got the whole world talking. And guess what, Chapter 2 is here!
But if you consider yourself above all this cartoonish nonsense, then let me bring you up to speed ahead of today’s release. Recently, in the Fortnite game-world, a monumental live event took place, the likes of which have rarely been seen in any game. To put a pretty long story short, players witnessed the culmination of 10 seasons-worth of events all wrapped up into one shocking and quite frankly emotional spectacle. And what were we left with? A brand new map? Perhaps the game-world being restored to how it was when society was just waking up to this phenomenon? Had Fortnite just ended itself?!
Nope – none of the above – we were left with a black hole.
All Fortnite was, for over a whole day, was a single black hole.
Until now that is! And finally the black hole has collapsed, opening up a brand new Fortnite world to discover. Yes, that’s right, I’m talking a new Battle Pass, new skins, new cosmetic items, new challenges, new weapons, and a whole new map! Oh, and of course it still remains totally free on Xbox One, PS4, PC, iOS and Android.
When the biggest game on the planet brings out its most ambitious update ever, you can forgive us for being a tad overexcited. In essence, Fortnite Chapter 2 is Fortnite like you’ve never seen before, with a huge emphasis on simply adding more to the core experience.
If somehow you aren’t clued up on the game, Fortnite is one of those battle royale games that have taken the platform by storm as of late, and its unique selling point is the requirement to build structures around your opponent in order to take them out. You, as one of 100 players, will land onto the Fortnite map in any one of the 13 POIs, as a solo gunner, duo or squad, and fight it out to be the last one standing! Chapter 2 retains this addictive gameplay loop, but simply builds upon it with regards to the number of weapons available, introducing new transport systems (such as swimming and motorboats) and throwing in interactive elements of the environment such as exploding gas stations and hiding spots.
Another thing new with Chapter 2 is the improvements made to team-play. When playing in a group of 2, 3 or 4, being able to carry downed teammates, celebrate with new group-emotes and utilise the Bandage Bazooka to heal each other will be integral to success.
Finally, and with every new season of Fortnite (and many other titles such as Rocket League and PUBG) comes a brand new Battle Pass. Chapter 2 Season 1 is no different, and this time round you can expect to be unlocking new character skins, gun wraps and loading screens (all offering zero gameplay benefit, I must add) as you progress through the brand new XP and medal-based system in play.
To many of you reading this, the only thing I need to say is that the beloved Fortnite is back with a bang – but to those thinking about giving it a go, there is no better time to drop in to this free game and grab some Victory Royales!
