[Update: Fortnite is live! Patch 5.10 has been implemented, though some players are currently unable to access the birthday challenges – the official Fortnite Twitter account clarified this would be resolved by 8pm EST (US) or midnight GMT (UK). Have your cake, eat it, and read on for patch notes and the original story below.]
It’s official: Fortnite is now one year old. And to celebrate the occasion, Epic’s epic battle royale shooter is getting a sizeable patch update – alongside a number of birthday challenges for the next... fortnight.
Each challenge completed will reward players with different birthday-themed cosmetic items or XP boosts, while completing all three will give you the chic Birthday Cake Back Bling to wear with pride throughout the two-week celebration.
You’ll also be able to eat cake in-game for +5 health and +5 shield boosts, because why not?
Nap time
Little one-year-old Fortnite will be offline this morning while the patch 5.10 changes are implemented. We expect the game to come back online later today, seeing as Epic has promised a host of birthday challenges that will run until August 7.
Patch 5.10 is the first update since Season 5 began earlier in July, which brought in all-terrain golf carts and some interdimensional portals that let you zip across the map in sci-fi style.
The new patch will bring in a new close-quarters weapon – the ‘high capacity, fast firing’ Compact SMG – alongside some light UI changes to timers and menus. You can pore through each bullet point and stat change at Epic’s full patch notes here.
In Fortnite: Save The World, you'll also find a new map called Canny Valley with a brand new quest.
Fortnite’s popular Playground Mode, which lets up to four players hone their skills together in a less pressured environment, will also be relaunching on July 25 – this time with an aim assist feature for new players, increased ammo and supply drops, and the ability to swap teams in game for fluid play.
- What else is new? Check our Fortnite Battle Royale news and updates page
