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Fortnite Ballistic: All the info on the new 5v5 mode
Counter-Strike meets Valorant meets Call of Duty? We tell you what you need to know about the new tactical shooter.
With Ballistic, Fortnite is opening the door to a whole new world. This game mode has nothing to do with the classic shooting and building battles from the Battle Royale, but is still competition-orientated. So nimble fingers on the trigger are rewarded.
01
How does Fortnite Ballistic work?
A match in the new game mode only takes a few minutes. First, 5 attackers and 5 defenders spawn. The aim of the attack is to place the Rift Point Device on a predetermined spot on the map. The defence must prevent this. After 6 rounds there is a change of sides, the team that wins 7 rounds first wins the match.
Rounds are won:
- When all opponents have been eliminated (both teams)
- When the rift point device has been placed and detonated (attackers)
- When the rift point device has been disarmed (defender)
- When the round timer expires (defender)
Object of desire: the Rift Point Device
© Epic
02
Differences to the classic Fortnite BR
In Ballistic, you play exclusively from a first-person perspective, as it is a pure first-person shooter. In contrast to Battle Royale, you do not get to see your own character. The only exceptions are emotes, where the camera switches to third person for a brief moment. And yes, you can also show off all your emotes and skins from your inventory in Ballistic.
There is no building and dismantling here either, the map remains as it is. Pickaxes as melee weapons are conceivable for the future and would of course fit thematically well into the game. However, they are not yet available in the beta.
There are also no consumables, no downelling or revives. If you survive a gunfight with 1HP, you cannot heal yourself. If you are eliminated, you are forced to watch until the end of the round. This naturally increases the risk and the strategic component of the game.
Run and Gun is significantly less penalised than in other tactical shooters
03
Differences to other tactical shooters?
Ballistic can best be described as a combination of Counter-Strike, paired with the movement from Call of Duty and a pinch of Valorant. You can pull yourself up onto crates, ledges and platforms. Battles are entertaining, shots while moving are less precise, but run and gun is penalised much less than in other tactical shooters. There is also no friendly fire, so you don't have to watch out for your mates when shooting.
At the start of the round there is a buy phase in which you can purchase your weapons and equipment. The better your performance in the game, the more credits you will receive at the start of the next round. This allows you to gradually buy better weapons and equipment and further increase your chances of victory.
This is how you get credits:
- If you win a round: 3,300 CR
- If you lose a round: 2,500 CR
- If you lose a round but survive: 1,000 CR
- Per kill: 200 CR
- If you place the Rift Device: 500 CR
04
Weapons and items
The same items and weapons are available to both teams; if you have enough credits, you can shop at will. However, if you make a mistake, you cannot return the weapon and must use it for the round. After all, you have infinite ammunition on your guns. Battle Royale players will be unaccustomed to the fact that you cannot carry multiple primary weapons.
Fortnite Ballistic offers 9 primary weapons in the beta
© Epic
You can choose from the following weapons and items:
- Automatic Rage shotgun
- Hammer pump shotgun
- Thunder volley submachine gun
- Hyper submachine gun
- Nemesis assault rifle
- Enforcer assault rifle
- Hand Cannon
- Reaper sniper rifle
- Shields (25 / 50 HP)
- Stun grenade
- Smoke grenade
- Flex Gadget
Fortnite Ballistic is still in beta and the developers have already announced that more weapons will follow. What is striking so far is that there is only one standard secondary pistol. The scope-equipped hand cannon is just as much a primary weapon as the other SMGs, shotguns and rifles.
Emotes must be spammed in the Victory Screen
© Epic
05
Game Changer: The Flex Gadget
The pinch of Valorant is in the so-called Flex Gadget from Ballistic. Before the start of a round, each player can select a gadget that resembles the special abilities we know from hero shooters. For example, you can throw a shield grenade that generates a protective dome for a short time. This makes long range fights safer or allows you to storm the bomb site from under cover. You cannot replace your Flex Gadget and keep it until the end of the match.
Flex gadgets have a total of 5 special abilities:
- Proximity mine: explodes when opponents are in close proximity
- Shield bubble: Barrier that does not let projectiles or grenades through
- Scout grenade: uncovers enemies behind walls for the entire team
- Frag grenade: classic nade
- Pulse grenade: an explosion that blasts every character in its radius (including your own player)
06
Maps and modes
Skyline 10 is the first and so far only map of the new tactical shooter and looks like the construction site from Vertigo (Counter-Strike) paired with Asian elements from Split (Valorant). It has a futuristic look and contains striking positions that the community will quickly memorise. There are elevations and depressions everywhere, so that it offers opportunities to play with almost all weapons. However, SMGs and ARs are the most popular. More maps will follow.
