Fortnite developer Epic Games announced several updates and changes for the Battle Royale mode that the studio is currently working on in a blog post today.
Improvements for controller support will be coming in the 4.3 update, including turbo building and edit mode features. The next update will make building faster after placing the first piece down, and fixes the issue of cancelling building after switching to a different piece. Another issue fixed with the update is that aim assist can be removed from edit mode with a settings toggle, since players found editing became slower and uncomfortable with aim assist on. Epic Games is also looking into custom bindings and stick axis remapping, but did not announce a date for those new settings.
Fortnite: Battle Royale will soon receive a new limited-time mode called Playground v1, which is billed as a “creative mode” with an extended period of time and increased resources. Friendly fire will also be turned on, but players will respawn immediately. It is different than other limited-time modes by placing an emphasis on strategizing and training, rather than direct competition.
Epic Games reiterated in the post that the jetpack item, introduced in the update earlier this week, will not be a permanent addition to the game, but could add more gameplay-changing items based on feedback and data. The studio is also evaluating “a larger squad mode live at all times” after players have been positive for the 50v50 limited-time mode.
Other performance changes being worked on include server improvements and shorter load times, while quality of life changes involve a high-resolution mini map and a more rewarding Victory Royale screen. One quality of life feature coming in the 4.3 update is challenge progress notifications, which can track the progress of several challenges during a match. The replay function will also be overhauled with more camera features and an x-ray option for watching players inside buildings.
While these changes are meant for mostly console players and the game’s server infrastructure, the studio published its own state of development post for the mobile version last week, such as battery improvements and voice chat.
