Fortnite Ballistic is an all-new, first-person, 5v5 round-based game mode debuting in Early Access on December 11, 2024.
According to Fortnite team, Fortnite Ballistic is all about “strategy, tactical teamwork and individual skill.” Players will be divided into two teams – attackers or defenders – and the goal will be to either plant a reality-ripping Rift Point device or stop the other team from doing so.
Like other games of this style, there will be no respawns during the round, and victory will be achieved when the Rift Point Device explodes (45 seconds after planting!) or when either team is destroyed. Players will switch teams every six rounds, and the game will end when one team wins a total of seven rounds.
All players will start the match with a Ranger Pistol and 800 Credits, and more Credits can be earned by killing other players or planting a Rift Point device. Credits can then be spent at the start of each round on weapons and items that will lend a hand players and teams achieve victory.
If players survive the round, they keep their equipment and shields. The items they utilize will not carry over, but they can drop weapons, smoke grenades, and flashbangs for their team, or even collect them from eliminated players.
Speaking of items, players will be able to choose one of five malleable gadgets that they can purchase and utilize during the match. Each player can have a maximum of two Flex Gadgets in their inventory. Other players cannot drop or pick them up.
Flex merchandise is available through the Fortnite Team;
- Choose A mine of closeness place a devastating mine on the floor, wall or ceiling to surprise an unsuspecting enemy. They can be picked up and placed again, and if fired, they explode. Great for booby traps while defending!
- The Bubble Shield allows you to drop a fleeting protective bubble that is resistant to bullets and projectiles such as grenades. Great for providing a shield for your team when storming a site.
The Scout grenade gadget tags all enemies detected near where it is thrown, even through walls. Before entering the site, throw a scout gadget to find out who might be waiting for you.
Old faithful! Thrown Frag Grenade will bounce and explode, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Be careful – you will take damage from your own grenades (though your allies will not). Great for pushing players out of cover.
The Pulse grenade Gadget is a destructive tool that ejects enemies and allies. It has many imaginative uses, such as sending teammates to a site from afar.
At launch, Fortnite Ballistic will only include one map – Skyline 10. An initial set of weapons and items will also be available, with changes rolling out post-launch with fresh maps, weapons, and features.
However, unranked and ranked modes will be available at launch. In Unranked mode, spots will be filled if players leave the game, and players can stay on the same server after the match if they want. There is no refill option in Ranked mode, and anyone who leaves the game will be subject to a rank penalty and will not be able to join another match for a “period of time.”
Unlike Ranked Battle Royale and Reload, matchmaking in Ranked Ballistic is based on your team’s average rank. Furthermore, the rank each player earns in a match will depend on rounds won and lost, eliminations and assists, in that order.
Fortnite Ballistic comes on the heels of the release of Fortnite OG and an epic event featuring Juice WRLD, Eminem, Ice Spice and Snoop Dogg.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and beyond TikTok.
