It can be easy to dismiss Fortnite if you prefer the grit of Call of Duty or Apex Legends. Beyond its cartoonish visuals and wild crossovers, there’s a solid shooter to enjoy, and it’s about to change for the better. Fortnite first person mode is officially headed to the behemoth battle royale later this year, and we’re already salivating at the gameplay opportunities it presents.
During the State of Unreal presentation at GDC 2024, which was attended by The Loadout, Epic Games carved out time to discuss one of the best battle royale games out there, Fortnite. In a surprise reveal, executive vice president Saxs Persson expresses that “later this year, we’re happy to announce that we’re going to release the highly-requested first person camera.” Furthermore, Persson acknowledges the long wait for Fortnite first person mode, adding that “it took a while, we know.”
Leaks surrounding the addition of this mode stem back to July last year, as it was claimed it could arrive in Fortnite Chapter 4, Season 4. As we all know, this didn’t come to fruition, but Epic has made some serious improvements to the billion-dollar multiplayer game ahead of its arrival. In December, enhancements to Fortnite’s movement and combat animations were deployed, adding both weight and visual sheen to skirmishes. While Fortnite isn’t often regarded for its gun play, combat is far more satisfying than Xbox and PS5 players give it credit for.
Epic has been toying with first person battles for a while now, as weapons like the Red-Eye Assault Rifle and MK-Seven Assault Rifle are exclusively bound to an aim-down-sights perspective. The arrival of a dedicated first person mode is a chance for that aspect to shine further, and combined with the game’s creative suite, the possibilities are practically endless. It might be the kick that players need to appreciate Fortnite in the same vein as franchises like Call of Duty, and its battle royale spin-off Warzone.
While an exact release window isn’t given, prolific Fortnite leakers such as ‘ShiinaBR’ are speculating about its arrival. Reporting on the addition of Minimal Lobbies in the future, the leaker purports that “Just like first person, I personally expect this to drop around the release of Chapter 6.” We’re currently playing through Chapter 5, Season 2, and seasonal updates typically last up to three months. Going off this cadence, it sounds like Fortnite won’t be evolving into one of the best FPS games until June at the earliest.
Until then, there’s plenty to keep you occupied, like diving into one of the early contenders for best RPG game of 2024, Dragon’s Dogma 2, which is already earning rave reviews.