Beyond only featuring Eminem trampling through a devastated city, Fortnite’s most recent virtual concert hinted at several new experiences that would be added to the game.
Known as the Big Bang Event, it whizzed participants through multiple locations for roughly ten minutes. Everyone first gathered on the original Fortnite island to see reenactments of several iconic moments from the game’s history, including the launch of a rocket, the collision of a meteor, and the eventual sucked-in of everything into a black hole.
From then on, gamers entered several portals, each with a distinct theme. Initially, an island was populated by Lego figures constructing, battling, and running around. Next, a futuristic race existed. When Eminem finally came on stage, they had to play Guitar Hero-style, hitting notes in sync with his performance of “Lose Yourself.”
After that, a massive Eminem made his appearance. He looked like a kaiju and performed “Godzilla.” The rapper even exhaled fire during one part of the song, set against a burned-out, abandoned metropolis. (In terms of virtual concerts, Eminem’s was the fourth significant in-game musical event, after Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, and Marshmello.) And then it was over.
Unsurprisingly, the event was intended to showcase future experiences coming to Fortnite that go beyond the standard battle royale format, considering Epic’s recent efforts to extend the game’s creative mode. The intention is to transform Fortnite into a platform more than a game, a la Roblox or Minecraft.
Epic and Lego formally unveiled Lego Fortnite, an in-game experience, just after the event concluded. The game will arrive on December 7. Meanwhile, Psyonix, the company that created Rocket League, is developing Rocket Racing, which will launch on December 8, and Harmonix, a rock band studio, is developing Fortnite Festival, which will launch on December 9.
The Big Bang follows an intriguing section of the game. Fornite OG, which Epic released in November, was a return to important locations and moments from the game’s history rather than a conventional months-long season. It was successful, as evidenced by Epic’s announcement that it had 100 million players in November, the highest number in the game’s history.
Epic delivered a decent preview of Chapter 5’s battle royale action, including a new island with a train you can ride (as well as Peter Gryphon from Family Guy and Metal Gear’s Solid Snake) before The Big Bang. Watch the launch trailer here:
Fortnite’s next chapter adds boss battles, Lego, Solid Snake, and a brand-new island
Let’s talk about the island first. The battle royale island has had a complete makeover with the update, which takes the game to Chapter 5: Season 1. This means there are several new places. There are marinas, mansions, a brand-new grassland area, and a railway with a train you can ride on. Moreover, there is a good deal of snow.
Regarding gameplay modifications, there are now five boss characters on the island, including Peter Gryphon. Players who defeat them will receive a medallion with the extremely practical ability to replenish shields gradually. However, there is also a disadvantage: clinging to a medallion will reveal your location on the map to other players. According to Epic, “the radius of your precise location is more precise the more medallions you have.”
Additional features include:
- The ability to move while healing or restoring shields.
- The weapons are in specific locations throughout the island, and an SUV is for them.
- Ang around. The Ballistic
hield is a weapon that allows you to “defend yourself with the shield while shooting the pistol at the same time.” There’s also a new type of in-game accessory: you may now customize vehicles in addition to your character and weaponry. As you get into a sports car in the game, it will change to reflect the varied bodywork, decals, and wheels you’ve chosen. (For players of both games, some Rocket League items will transfer over.)
All of the new boss characters and a new Jones and Solid Snake later in the game will eventually be unlocked for those who purchase this season’s battle pass.
And there’s Lego after that. As part of an ongoing collaboration, Epic announced on Saturday the release of Lego Fortnite, a new in-game experience slated to launch inside Fortnite on December 7. However, the game’s skins are also a result of this partnership. According to Epic, the majority of the skins currently available—more than 1,200—will include a Lego-style option that does what it sounds like: recreating characters like Peely the banana in Lego bricks. However, these looks will only apply to Lego activities in Fortnite.