Fortnite Season 5 officially kicked off on Thursday, introducing a myriad of new content and tweaks for the mobile, console, and PC versions of the game. This latest evolution of the juggernaut blockbuster is accompanied by a cryptic tagline "Worlds Collide" In some part related to the recent game event featuring a failed rocket launch that cracked the sky, teleportation objects from the real world into the game.
First off are a series of new locations for the popular Battle Royal mode. The westerned themed Paradise Palms and Desert give a dusty new look to the island, while hill populated Lazy Links' golf motif fits more in line with the established green forest pastures of the game. Each fit right alongside the previous seen locations of Tilted Towers and Tomato Town, giving a blend of new and old.
Following last March's Shopping Cart, the All Terrain Kart marks the second vehicle to appear in Fortnite. The suped-up golf cart carries up to four players with drift activated speed boosts, a bounce pad roof top, and even the ability to pop wheelies for higher jumps.
Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms now have optional gyrometric controls. Rather than targeting with analog sticks and touchscreens, players can motion aim. An auto fire function has also been added to mobile, causing character to attack whenever an enemy enters their recital.
The co-operative and single player Save The World half of the game has also received it's own set of updates. Challenge the Horde is being touted as " the ultimate challenge of survival and teamwork" Taking place in the desert portion of the island, the new Wild West Heroes and Flintlock weapons match the season's cowboy aesthetic.
And lastly, the new Rifts scattered throughout the map will teleport players back into the skies to once again glide down to the chaos below.
As with all previous patches, Epic has released a lengthy blog post detailing all the balances, bug fixes, and interface adjustments accompanying this update.
In related news, Epic Games has announced their $8 million Summer Skirmish Series tournament. Hopeful winners will want to brush on their skills before the event launches later this month.