For a game so big on vibrant colour and loud noises, getting new information appear so bloody casually on the news page of Epic's ridiculously popular free-to-play game Fortnite Battle Royale is a strange move. It didn’t stop fans going nuts though.
In just a few sweet words, the Fortnite Battle Royale community was reduced to a gleeful puddle of joy. Those words?
Jetpack (coming soon): Take the fight to all new heights.
As if gliding and jumping wasn’t enough, Fortnite Battle Royale could now be taking to the skies in a whole new way by next week. This official jetpack is being added to its multiplayer deathmatches. But what sort of jetpack will Epic implement into Fortnite Battle Royale?
It will likely handle in a short burst/low fuel manner, otherwise it’d definitely destroy the current dynamic if players could just fly off into the sun at every opportunity. It could be very handy against late game base-building tactics however it ends up working.
How will it be gained though? Most likely of all is that it could be a legendary item, only be found in chests and equipped for one-time use. Or perhaps it will be a touch more accesable for all, and the lack of vehicular action in the game will seem like a thing of the past as players zoom into the sky like a convention for The Rocketeer.
As Epic has committed to keeping this sort of item purely cosmetic for the sake of Fortnite's gameplay balance, it’s unlikely it will be a microtransaction-based addition. Otherwise there’s be some very unpleasant scenes on social media.
This oh-so-casual announcement should mean that the jetpack is getting explained and introduced sooner rather than later. We will soon see if it turns out to be a game-changer or a game-breaker.
In the meantime, Season 3 of Fortnite Battle Royale rolls on.