What’s New in Fortnite Chapter 2?

The Battle Royale giant is back after a brief break, in a black hole?

Oct 21, 2019

Fortnite had been on a bit of a lull for a while. The game may have gotten a bit more complicated for its own good with all the mechs and whatnot, or gamers just may have been drifting away from the game after it had been in the spotlight for such a long time. Either way, Epic Games came in with the answer. After a very slick intro cutscene that transitioned seamlessly into gameplay, Fortnite Chapter 2 begins.

Fortnite Chapter 2 | Launch Trailer

The Black Hole

The best way to make people want something, is to take it away. And, if you take it away and throw it into space even better. Epic sucked up the entire Battle Royale island into a huge black hole for two whole days. All you could do in game is stare into the endless, dark void. At the end of the two days, a new chapter for the game began by going back to the basics.

There are fewer weapons now, but the action is still intense

Chapter 2

Fortnite Chapter 2 is a new start for the game. When Battle Royale first launched, it was little more than an experiment by some PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds fans to see how Fortnite’s unique gameplay would fit into a player vs player mold. Even though it wouldn’t later be known for it, Fortnite was originally a cooperative game. It was a bit buggy, didn’t run perfectly but it was obvious from the start that it was going to hit big, and it did. As the seasons changed, the game got more and more content added to it alongside improvements that some liked, and some didn’t. After the last couple seasons, people’s interest in the game started to dip as not as many players were jumping out of the Battle Bus as usual. Sometimes you just need a fresh start. Fortnite Chapter 2 takes everything that Epic Games has learned about their game, without the fluff that had made the game recently a bit bloated.

Tip: You can hide in stacks of hay and barrels to get a drop on your opponents

A New Map

Battle Royale’s map has been slowly updated throughout its life but now, a whole new battleground is the game’s home. A bigger, more varied island has replaced the old one. Rivers and lakes dot the landscape, and you can now swim and fish. You and your squad can get in a motorboat to escape dangerous situations, and overall the game world just feels much more varied and alive.

Epic is keeping the loot a secret for players to discover for themselves

Other Changes

Many weapons have been left in the dust with the intention of keeping things simple. The loot that you find around the map more closely looks like how it was when Battle Royale launched. Your basic shotguns, assault rifles, SMG’s and pistols are all still in the game but don’t expect to see any mechs on the battlefield. There is an interesting addition, though. Around the map, workbenches where you can upgrade your weapon are scattered and can both give you an edge in a firefight and create a potentially tense situation if both you and an enemy want to use the bench. Overall, I think Chapter 2 put Fortnite in a great place especially for fans who might not have played in a while. It is simplified, but also contains many of the small improvements that Epic Games has added to the game as well as some new ones. There is a ton of potential going forward now with this all new springboard, and who knows what the future holds for the game.