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You could’ve just called it Season 12. Instead, I have to report that – after being pushed back another two weeks – Fortnite Battle Royale: Chapter 2: Season 2 will finally launch on February 20th. As they say, though, good things come to those who wait. Those extra two weeks of Season 1 will come with new Overtime Challenges, an unannounced two-week long limited event, and allow Epic a little more time to bring the game over to their brand new physics engine, Chaos. Should be a banger.
It’s often easy to overlook that, besides running a behemoth of a battle royale, Epic are really a tech company at heart. The team unveiled Unreal’s new real-time physics and destruction system, Chaos, at GDC last year with a flashy tech demo.
Now, Epic have announced they’re preparing to move their big-hitter over to the fancy destruction system. It sounds like Chaos won’t bring any earthshattering changes for the time being. Epic say as much themselves, stating that “at launch, the goal is to ensure that Fortnite still feels like Fortnite.” If they’re successful, you shouldn’t even know anything’s changed.
Destruction being a key to the game’s building/shooting loop, Fortnite kinda relies on a suspension of disbelief that allows for gravity-defying structures, sky-high ramps, and the knowledge that a house won’t topple on you when all four walls are shattered.
Further down the line, though? I’d love to see Epic get braver with breaking things down. Imagine barricades shattering under bullet fire, or tactically collapsing intricate player forts on top of each other. Yes, they were torn into oblivion along with the rest of the old map, but imagine if Tilted Towers really could topple with a well-placed rocket.
Red Faction: Guerrilla royale. That’s what I’m saying, really.
Chaos will be phased into Fortnite starting with update 11.50, due in early February. It should be in place by the time of Season 2’s launch later that month which, according to Epic’s announcement, will feature [redacted] and [redacted]. Should be exciting.
To make up for the delay, Fortnite’s current season – already its longest-running to date – will be extended with more Overtime Challenges and “a new two-week event”. A fortnight Fortnite event, if you will.
Sorry, not sorry.