Fortnite Season 2's biggest change is easily its most controversial

Still from Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 trailer
(Image credit: Epic Games)

The unimaginable has happened: Building has been removed from Fortnite BR. The bread and butter mode has been overhauled with the dawn of a new season -- but the good news is, the change doesn't affect all modes.

Still, Fortnite sweats who rely on building may be a little less than enthused. Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2's battle royale portion is now an all-out shooter. And there's nowhere to hide. Epic announced the news over the weekend, but the dev has offered some consolation to players who are worried about getting annihilated.    

As well as your usual health and shield, players will be getting Overshield. Dubbed your "first line of defense", it's a little solace to sweats; Overshield will take damage before your shield and health start getting chipped away.

If you're running around like a headless chicken, frantically trying to figure out how PUBG and Warzone players survive on their wits alone, you'll still be okay. If your Overshield drops to zero, it'll still regenerate. 

So save your Pritzker Award-worthy defensive blueprints and switch to less complex strategies when under fire. Such methods include running away, looking for cover that you didn't build, and jumping around like a particularly stubborn corn kernel that refuses to pop.

Or you might want to go ahead and take advantage of the new movement upgrades. The default movement speed has been ramped up, which means sprinting is also faster. The boost is offset by your character pocketing held items. A new sprint meter has also been rolled out because you good things don't last forever. So keep an eye on it when you're racing around the map. You don't want it depleting at a crucial moments. 

To go along with the super speedy sprint is a new shoulder bash move, and flinging open doors has never looked so cool. Although given that sliding also opens doors now, it's a tossup between which looks more slick.

And to round out your arsenal, there's mantling. With running away topping the list of strategies now that building is out, mantling is going to make a world of difference. When jumping for a surface of platform that's a little too high to make with a standard jump, your character will grab the edge, pulling itself up.

The obliteration of building is contained to Fortnite BR mode only. Competitive/Arena playlists are unaffected, as are Team Rumble and Creative Islands.

As with any new season, a bunch of equipment has been unvaulted, and the war with IO continues...

TOPICS
Shabana Arif
News Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Shabana has been writing about games for almost a decade now, as well as covering tech, politics, food, and other random tidbits at Gizmodo UK. She's stepped outside of news every now and then to write game guides, and always appreciates a DM if she's helped get you out of a pickle. During her time freelancing, you may have spotted her words at VG24/7, GamesRadar, and IGN. She's also held the position of news editor at Gizmodo UK, T3, and The Sun Online. 

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