100-player PUBG-inspired mode launching this month
Epic is prepping a Battle Royale mode for its action-building game Fortnite, and there’s a whole lot more where that came from so long as people are hungry for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and its ilk.
The mode puts 100 players onto one map, complete with an air-drop entrance and a shrinking safe zone that funnels folks together. It’s playable now in testing ahead of a September 26 launch.
The developers have also shared an FAQ. Two big points to highlight: Battle Royale won’t delay Fortnite‘s free-to-play release in 2018, and “Squads is a very, very high priority. We’re also looking to make the feel of combat better by focusing on controls, weapons and movement. We’re also working on the inventory management. The Public Test is going to allow us to see how our matchmaking system works with a lot of people and what performance issues we’ll need to fix as well.”
I’m not opposed to this idea at all, and in fact, I’d love to see more games put their spin on the battle royale format. It’ll get out of hand eventually, but for now, there’s a lot of untapped potential. For instance, traps? I wish PUBG let you set up traps and hunker down (only to be shot in the back of the head by someone who was there the whole time, lurking just out of view).
As for Fortnite fans who like the core game and aren’t feeling this new mode, fair enough. For its part, Epic notes that “The Unreal Tournament team helped make Battle Royale happen. The core Fortnite team has been focused on the PvE experience.”