Fortnite Battle Royale news and updates: what’s new in Fortnite

[Update: Epic is trying to make life easier for new Fortnite players by introducing a Starter Pack to the game. Costing $4.99 on the in-game store, the pack includes a cosmetic backpack, 600 in-game V-bucks and an exclusive Rogue Agent player skin.

Additionally, the game has just released on the iOS App Store, graduating from beta status for the full release.]

You've probably noticed, but Battle Royale games are having something of a moment. One of the biggest of the Battle Royale titles available at the moment is Fortnite Battle Royale from Epic Games.

Available for free on PC, Xbox One and PS4, Fortnite Battle Royale supports up to 100 players at a time in a game, either playing as individuals or in squads of up to four. When starting up, you're thrown onto an island with no weapons or armor and you must scavenge for supplies and fight for your life to be the last man or squad standing at the end of the game.

Like most Battle Royale games, Fortnite is split into matches of varying length with a map that shrinks as the match progresses, forcing players closer together.

Epic Games actively works on Fortnite Battle Royale, making changes through patches and updates. Here you'll be able to find the latest changes to the game.

What's the latest Fortnite update?

Fortnite's latest limited-time mode is here. Called Blitz, it's a fast-paced all-action mode with matches that last a maximum of 15 minutes.

Blitz is squads only and when you enter the match you'll find the circle is already shrinking and there are a lot more weapons and gear to hand. This makes for matches that are quick, brutal and probably not suited to fans of strategy.

Season 3 of Fortnite is now at patch 3.3. Where does the time go? We're still not seeing those jetpacks we've heard about but that's okay because there are plenty of other interesting additions in this update.

First up, remote explosives. It's the ultimate action movie scene: you sneak into the enemy area, plant a big hunk of C4 and set it off when you're at a safe enough distance to do the cool 'I don't look at explosions' thing without roasting your own back.

There's also the colorful new Supply Llama which is like a cross between a Loot chest and a Supply drop. You'll find them randomly in the game world but not very often: only three per game will spawn. When you break one open you'll get a cloud of confetti (not useful but enjoyable) as well as 500 stone, metal, and wood, ten stacks of each ammo type, and three traps and consumables.

Xbox players will be glad to see that this update enables the recently announced mobile, PC and console cross-play (which you can opt-out from).

Finally, players will find loot availability has increased, harvesting resources have doubled and you're now more likely to find resources in loot.

Twitch Prime benefits

Those who use Twitch Prime and play Fortnite will be glad to know that they have access to free loot right now. Those with a Prime account can claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack which includes a host of cosmetic items and is available across all platforms.

The pack includes two exclusive gliders and outfits: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider.

PS Plus subscribers can also download the PS4 Celebration Pack for free right now which also includes an exclusive outfit and glider.

Can I play Fortnite on mobile?

Yes you can! Well, kind of. Fortnite is definitely coming to mobiles and some iOS owners can play it already but the rollout is slow and it'll be a couple of months before it comes to Android.

Who can play Fortnite on mobile?

Right now, Epic is sending out invites to iOS device owners who have signed up on the official Fortnite site. For testing a server scaling, these invites are being rolled out steadily before a full release. A few months from now, Android owners will be able to access the game to. But at the moment, it's a selection of iOS players.

If you sign up on the site now you will get an invite eventually and as long as you're using iOS 11 on iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro devices or later you'll be fine. Oh, and you'll need an internet connection naturally.

Is it the full game?

It is the full Fortnite game. There are some small differences: it’s not quite as visually impressive as it is on more powerful devices, the controls are touchscreen, and a lot of audio cues have been made visual so you can play comfortably in public without the need for headphones. But you won’t be missing out on any features.

What's the deal with cross-play?

Though Xbox One and PS4 owners can't play the game together, these consoles can play with PC and mobile devices. So if you've got friends that prefer PC, others that prefer console and you're off on holiday with your mobile, you can still all play together. Just as long as there's not one friend that dared to buy a different console from everyone else.

There's also cross-progression. So, if you're logged into your Fortnite account on mobile playing and you later log into your console to play, everything you did on mobile later that day is carried over.

Sounds great, how do I get it?

We have a guide on how to get Fortnite on mobile on TechRadar and we're constantly updating it with the latest rollout news. If your device isn't there yet, keep checking back and one day it probably will be.

What's the deal with Fortnite account hacking?

Over the past couple of weeks, Fortnite players have been reporting that their accounts have been compromised and purchases are being made in their name with their money without their permission. Epic has said that it's aware of the problem and suspects phishing scams rather than an elaborate hacks. It encourages any players who believe their account has been affected to contact its support center immediately.

Before it gets to that point, there are some steps you can take to keep your account safe. The first of these is to read the Epic account security bulletin. Next, you ought to make sure that you have a strong original password and two-factor sign in. Outside of this, ensure you keep an eye on your transactions and acting on any suspicious activity early.

What's a Battle Pass?

The Battle Pass is a purchasable item in Fortnite that gives you access to exclusive in-game rewards.

As players complete daily challenges and level up their rank, they earn Battle Stars which can then be used to unlock Tiers in their Battle Pass. Each new Tier you unlock will bring both Free and Premium rewards. The Tiers vary from season to season but in season three you get around 100 items in each Battle Pass which can take anywhere between 75 and 100 hours of play to unlock.

Everyone that has a Battle Pass will get the Free reward they unlock, but only Premium Pass holders will get the Premium reward. Battle Pass Premium can only be purchased with in-game V bucks and not with real money.

You can purchase a Battle Pass for around £7/$10 in the Battle Pass tab of the game’s menu.

What's coming up in Fortnite?

Fortnite is a game that undergoes pretty frequent updates so week-by-week you can expect to see patches which either squash bugs or make small changes to gameplay which improve quality of life.

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will soon get a replay editor. During GDC, Epic revealed in the in-game editing suite which will allow players to look back over their completed matches, capture moments and craft highlight reels. The editing suite has a bunch of settings you can fiddle with, including aperture, exposure and focus. Epic didn't say when exactly the editor would be added to the game, just that it would be coming to consoles and PC later this year.

It was also recently announced that jetpacks will be coming to the game. They will, apparently, be coming soon - in fact, they were intended to be included in the game's last patch - but have been delayed due to some "last minute design" issues.

In the long term, Epic Games has said that it’s planning to make improvements to social features and Limited Time Modes as well as add Custom Matches.