If you thought that downtime for “Fortnite” was a rare occurrence in battle royale games, then you’d be wrong. The extremely popular game is running a 2-week “v5.0” update.
Back at the beginning of October, the first game patch made some substantial changes to the way the game handled matchmaking and queuing. Epic Games decided to make a few small tweaks since then, including a new leveling progression and some map tweaks.
But Tuesday, October 30, is the big 3.0 update and first game patch after the changes introduced. Specifically, it’s going to affect your in-game purchases, the servers, and the skins.
According to a helpful FAQ, “v5.0” will bring the new game mode, Battle Royale in Escalation, to select locations in Europe. It will also help stabilize server load issues.
One of the biggest changes is that cosmetic item unlocks will not work after a 3 day period.
This is causing some controversy since there have been issues in the past regarding getting chests in the game. Meanwhile, the exact date is not set in stone. Epic Games simply says they will be rolling out “regular game updates” after this “v5.0” patch.
Obviously, that’s a lot of information to know. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is happening in “Fortnite” today?
A lot, actually. Right now, players will be playing online as their characters are downloading the update. In the world of “Fortnite,” that means the store has gone live and all of the cosmetics for purchase can now be purchased.
What are the new changes?
In addition to changing game balance and adding additional playlists, the update brings the new Battle Royale in Escalation mode to select locations in Europe. Then, following the update, the tank skins will not work after a 3 day period. The tier 1 “pimp” gear will no longer work, as it won’t work after 3 days.
You can read all of the details here.
What are we still unclear about?
As noted above, the date and time of rollout are TBD.
This is probably the closest we’ll get to seeing how the game will be affected after the update.
Will my other games still be updated on the same day?
Yes, all game updates will roll out in real time at the same time.
Are more changes coming soon?
Yes, Epic Games is currently busy making the next “V5.1.” It’s going to contain brand new items and level design. The “pimp” snake skin from the holiday update will be ready for pre-order, and weapons skins will be coming.
Will it be another two weeks before we get to “v5.2?”
No. We’re scheduled to have the next patch out before Halloween.
Does “Fortnite” have a huge server load right now?
No, it doesn’t. We reached a daily peak of 10.5 million concurrent players for the “v5.0” patch. With the biggest changes and changes going into place today, we expect the gaming world to be ablaze with excitement for the launch. With 10.5 million people playing at once, only time will tell if we break records again.
How else will the update affect me?
Along with this week’s update, “v5.0” brings the store to the matchmaking screen so all players can see what’s being up for sale. For battle royale players, there will be limited engagement opportunities in the game right now. In addition, your armor level, which is gradually in the process of scaling up, will now only be displayed if you’re still part of the game.
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