A New Map
What’s New in Fortnite Battle Royale’s Map Update? Everything You Need to Know
Without a doubt, the most significant change to Fortnite Battle Royale in the upcoming Patch 2.2.0 (New Map Update) are the changes to its map. While it’s technically a revamp of the old map rather than an all-new one, so much has been changed that you’re going to have to get completely reacquainted with the island. According to Fortnite Battle Royale level designer, Sidney Rauchberger, the map’s overhaul is designed “to add density to the west side of the map, bringing it in line with the east.” The headline features of this overhaul are the additions of a new urban environment, as well as an underground mine.
The city, known as Tilted Towers, brings verticality to Fortnite Battle Royale that really didn’t exist in any other urban area. The skyscrapers are going to make for formidable defensive areas, and we’d suggest that the whole town is likely to be generously stocked with loot. In terms of size, it looks roughly equivalent to Greasy Grove but features much taller buildings and a more structured city-like layout with its roads and streets.
The Shifty Shafts is another notable new underground area that the developers hope will add a more close-quarters dynamic to combat in the game. Described as “dark and more frantic,” expect plenty of hiding spots for good silenced pistol action, too.
You can see all the locations we’ve found with multiple chests in these areas here.
From the comparison map above, you can see a big difference in aesthetic between the two maps. What’s especially vivid is that the new map is sectioned into four separate areas now, each with their own different biome. There’s the forested eastern half of the island, drier farming lands of the north, grassy western plains, and the boggy area of Misty Mire. These new visuals should make points of interest more recognizable, and easier to call out to teammates.
Battle Pass Bonus
What’s New in Fortnite Battle Royale’s Map Update? Everything You Need to Know
Season two of Fortnite Battle Royale’s Battle Pass comes to a close next month. For those who haven’t yet got onboard, the Battle Pass is essentially a way to add progression to your game on top of the Locker and Stats systems that come with the base free-to-play experience. For a one-off payment, players get to take part in a season of daily challenges that earn tangible rewards for your avatar, including V-Bucks, the in-game currency that is normally acquired through spending real money. Although you’re still technically paying a microtransaction, it does add a fun challenge to the game in which you’ll obtain more customization rewards by completing objectives than you would by spending the equivalent amount on a single purchase.
Epic Games is giving anyone who signs up for the second season a five-tier head start when season three rolls around on Feb. 20. You can now purchase 10 Battle Pass tiers for the price of six, for a limited time.
Full Patch Notes and Release Date
What’s New in Fortnite Battle Royale’s Map Update? Everything You Need to Know
Patch 2.2.0 brings a host of new gameplay and quality of life changes in addition to the aesthetic upgrade to the map. Perhaps the most significant of these is the removal of friendly-fire from squad and duos matches. Players will no longer suffer the frustration of having other rogue players team-kill them and take their loot. That’s obviously a big positive, though some might point to the added layer of difficulty and immersion brought about by having accidental friendly-fire in the game.
Elsewhere, there are changes inbound for one of the game’s best weapons: the Scoped Assault Rifle. The gun will be removed from Supply Drops entirely, and Epic Games is tweaking the actual design of its scope, too. The developer describes the new optics as having “a more modern design” to make it easier to lineup targets for accurate long distance shooting.
Speaking of long-distance kills, the game now includes sniper elimination distance numbers in the kill feed. No more guesswork required; you’ll be able to measure and record just how far your longest kills are!
For a full list of patch notes, check out Epic Games’ website for details. The new patch launches tomorrow, Jan. 18.
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