Peace and tranquility have finally come to the Fortnite Island as players are enjoying a rather well deserved vacation to celebrate their triumph against Doctor Slone and her combative forces from the events of last season. The storyline featured an unfortunately timed (and unintentional) all-out war between two opposing factions which saw players working together to fortify their defenses and push back enemy advances with Airships, Armoured Battle Buses, Choppas, and Titan Tanks populating the map. Everything culminated in a climactic final assault on June 4th, 2022 and the outcome has ushered in a particularly chilled and relaxed theme which will continue through the summer months.
The island has undergone several transformative changes, most notably being the Reality Tree which has since blossomed on the south western side of the island. Players can explore a breathtakingly lush forest filled with towering fungi, bouncy shield mushrooms, and an abundance of purple trees growing in the immediate area. Glowing flora and reality pulses can also be seen spreading towards different locations with roots from the Reality Tree beginning to sprout up and radiate mysterious energy which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on things moving forward. Epic Games has provided players with quite a substantial update alongside their latest season – subtitled “Vibin'” – which is scheduled to conclude on September 17th, 2022 and will also be one of the longest running seasons to date.
One of the most notable additions to Fortnite Vibin’ is Darth Vader who serves as the Level 100 reward for Battle Pass owners. Players were treated to an early tease at his upcoming appearance during the Collision live event during a brief – blink and you will miss it moment – where he was engaging in some lightsaber combat with Obi-Wan Kenobi whom has already made it onto the island. Despite the lack of customizable lightsaber Pickaxes yet again, players can strike fear into the eyes of their enemies whilst making a grand entrance using the Imperial March Emote or arrive on the island in style utilizing the Lambda-Class Shuttle Glider. Darth Vader can be found roaming around with a pair of Stormtroopers at various landing outposts and will drop his signature weapon – can be thrown – upon defeat.
Sprouting and blooming in the lower region of the map is the Reality Tree which has spawned a brand new location – Reality Falls – which houses hidden waterfall caverns and mobility geysers that flourish under an utterly mesmerizing colour scheme. Players can grow their own weapon caches by planting Reality Seeds in the ground and tending to them on a regular basis; rarities can reach Mythic status for players whom properly weed their saplings. Baller vehicles are also making a comeback after they were vaulted in Chapter 1 – Season X and replaced with the divisive B.R.U.T.E. armament. Players can utilize them to roll around the island – grappling onto various objects, buildings, and terrain with relative ease on a limited battery charge; upgraded to travel on water and increased health boosts for longevity.
Epic Games has brought wildlife riding to Fortnite Vibin’ with players able to quickly befriend boars and wolves by jumping on their backs – unless they become agitated beforehand. These trainable animals can travel great distances without needing to refuel and players can subsequently fire their weapons or harvest building materials without dismounting from their companion. Transportation plays a crucial role in survival as Storm Sickness can develop for those caught within the storm – a harsh ailment that accelerates the destructive process of health loss with no known cure… except by leaving the storm.
The secret skin for Chapter 3 – Season 3 is none other than famed archeologist Indiana Jones who has taken some time away from his latest and greatest expedition to grab a few Victory Crowns of his own whilst using the Grappler Gove to his advantage. Similar to Spider-Man’s Web Shooters which provided a fun and exciting way to travel, players can equip them – found in marked crates – and swing through trees and buildings as before; Epic Games can keep them around longer as they are entirely unique and original to Fortnite whereas the Web Shooters were a collaborative item. As Reality Roots begin to form around the island, players are undoubtedly in for quite a reality bending summer season.
Fortnite is available now on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Windows PC, and Android devices – iOS compatibility is available through GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.