Epic Games posted a lengthy "State of Development" post today for their mega-popular battle royale game
Fortnite. While it's unclear exactly how far out a lot of these changes are, the update provides us with at least some behind-the-scenes knowledge of what's on the horizon for the game. And good news, there's a lot on the way!
It starts with Epic looking to improve
Fortnite's control scheme, particularly on consoles. Coming in update 4.3, you can expect fixes to issues with Builder Pro Mode making the control scheme feel more consistent. Additionally, Epic has made Turbo Building improvements, including fixing various reported problems such as building being canceled while cycling through traps. Epic has also made Turbo Building faster; the first time you begin building it takes 0.15 seconds to build, but each piece after that is faster (0.05 seconds). Update 4.3 will also let players toggle Edit Mode Aim Assist off.
Looking to the future, Epic is hoping to provide players a way to bind actions to whichever buttons they prefer to use. Additionally, they are investigating other aspects like stick axis remapping. Unfortunately, it's unclear how far out this custom binding feature actually is.
Epic Games has also spent some time looking at Limited Time Modes and good news for fans of 50v50, the developer is evaluating keeping a larger squad mode live at all times. As for the recently introduced Solo Showdown, it served as a stepping stone for Epic to explore how competitive play might look in
Fortnite. The Jetpack, another recently introduced Limited Time Item, is also being monitored for feedback and data. Jetpacks are part of the new Backpack Item.
As for something new,
Fortnite is getting a Playground LTM which will load players into the Battle Royale Map with some adjusted settings. As Epic explains:
Battle and build to your heart's content with an extended period of time to roam around the map as well as increased resource generation. All treasure chests and ammo crates will be spawned, try droppin’ in different spots and scope out the loot. Friendly fire is on so you can scrimmage with your squad (up to 4 friends per match), but fear not you’ll respawn immediately.
And, of course, players can expect plenty of performance and quality of life improvements in future updates. While you can read all about these improvements over on the blog, here's a quick list of what you can look forward to:
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Tracking Hitches in the Wild
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Optimizing Load Times
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Server Performance
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Server Position Updates
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Client Network Updates
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Challenge Progress Notifications
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In-world markers
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New Victory Royale screen
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High-resolution mini map
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Better Footstep and Vertical Audio
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Spectator UI Improvements
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More Cosmetics
Lastly, the replay system is getting some slight improvements. Epic is developing new camera features that allow you to orbit around any point of your choosing, as well as having the camera automatically track the action for you by focusing on a group of players rather than just one. Players can also expect improved character outlines and the addition of an x-ray view for players inside of buildings.
Epic Games is constantly updating and evolving
Fortnite Battle Royale so be sure to check back regularly for update notes.