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New Fortnite Guardian Shield item feels straight out of Overwatch 2

If you think Fortnite's new Guardian Shield item feels familiar, there's a good reason for that - it's something that's been ripped straight from Overwatch 2

Fortnite Guardian Shield Overwatch 2: an image of the Ice Queen from Epic Games battle royale and Reinhardt from the hero shooter

3/1/2023 The Fortnite Guardian Shield is now live in the battle royale.

We know Epic Games does a lot of great – and original – things with its’ battle royale shooter Fortnite, but the latest update has introduced an item that’s almost too similar to something you’d see in Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch 2. If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, we’re talking about the new Guardian Shield item – which is not to be mistaken with the Guardian Shield glider you can pick up in the Kratos Bundle.

That Guardian Shield is nothing more than a cool cosmetic, but this Guardian Shield is a brand new in-game item that allows players to both run around Fortnite Island with a huge energy shield in-hand and throw a huge energy shield out in front of them. If you’re wondering how this works, just picture the combination of a Reinhardt shield and a Sigma shield – because that’s almost exactly what this item is.

You’ll be pleased to know that Epic Games has made sure that you don’t have the luxury of unlimited use of this massive shield – you’re not going to be covered by it forever.

The Guardian Shield has a power bar that allows for around 15-20 seconds of use, judging by early footage. This power bar will only tick down if you have it activated, and will stop ticking down when you stow it. If you fully deplete it, there will be a ten-second cool down before it begins to recharge its power.

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When you combine this with the Chapter 4 Season 1’s Shockwave Hammer – something that quite a few Fortnite players have expressed bears a resemblance to Reinhardt’s ultimate ability Earthshatter – you really can live out your Overwatch 2 dreams in Epic Games’ battle royale shooter.

If you’re wondering how to beat The Ageless in Fortnite, we certainly think the Guardian Shield will help you out. You’ll be pleased to know that, as you can see, it’s a blue rarity item. That should mean that it won’t take you too long to find one in-game. Just be careful not to use it too much as it doesn’t look like it’s value recharges when it’s not activated.

It’s also worth checking out our guide to the best Fortnite landing spots for Chapter 4 Season 1. If you’re looking to survive until the final circle, this should set you up for success.