Fortnite’s Season 11 is now live, in a way. As we predicted yesterday, a new chapter has begun for the game, and as a result the new season is technically Season 1. Today is the first day for Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1, and the host of changes that it comes with bring it much closer to PUBG in terms of being a serious battle royale title.
Most of the new features in Fortnite Chapter 2 can be seen in the first trailer for it. Check it out below and read on for more details.
New Map
The first big change that comes with Fortnite Chapter 2 is the map. This is a completely new map for players to experience, discover secrets in, and most importantly create some new gameplay experiences in. The original Fortnite map was never designed to be used over the course of 10 seasons, which is why Epic Games changed it so much between each season. However, a new map is the way most other battle royale games mix up their gameplay, offering players a change of scene. Whilst those games, such as PUBG, offer multiple maps to players instead of just one, the overhaul between Fortnite’s two maps is so large that it’s as close to offering multiple maps as the game has come so far.
Boats
Boats are a new vehicle in Fortnite Chapter 2, but by themselves they are not what brings Fortnite closer to being a serious battle royale game. The way that players assemble on boats, able to fire from all angles, is what brings Fortnite more in line with a battle royale game like PUBG. The boat is designed around squad gameplay, and not only that, it’s designed around helping squads be the last survivors in a match. Other vehicles in Fortnite, such as the quadbike or B.R.U.T.E, are built for fun over tactical advantage. The switch in focus with Chapter 2’s boat is subtle, but it’s something that needs to be noted moving forward in the future seasons for Fortnite Chapter 2.
Longer Grind
One of the bigger changes in Fortnite with Chapter 2 is the overall game grind. Previously there were 100 levels to work through each season, with each one providing rewards, more if you had the Battle Pass for that season. Now there are 250 levels to grind through, and rewards for each of them as well. By searching chests and completing Medal Punchcards, players can boost their XP gain to earn XP faster, a great way to reward players for jumping into more games, no matter how they’re performing in each one.
I would argue that the new form of season pass, as we see in PUBG and now Destiny 2, originated in Fortnite. The concept of earning seasonal XP and unlocking a range of items over the course of the season has now become widespread. Therefore, I would say that this expansion of the Battle Pass in Fortnite Chapter 2 brings it closer to being a serious battle royale game, because those more serious games will adopt the changes implemented in Fortnite.
Fishing
The new fishing feature in Fortnite Chapter 2 is a bit of a laugh. If anything this brings the game back to its core, just allowing players to have fun in any situation. I don’t think this makes it more like a serious battle royale game, but it does offer even more activities to players, which I have no doubt is an effort to get more people to play the game. That concept, attempting to draw more people into the game regardless of what they’re doing, is pure Fortnite.
