Epic Games recently unveiled Fortnite Ballistic, an all-new first-person shooter built into the game’s core platform. It’s a competitive shooter by nature, boasting both a ranked and unranked ecosystem, and it has been designed to mimic one of the best-known esports operating models in the world.
It’s arriving in early access on December 11 – but let’s talk about the game’s potential to disrupt the established Fortnite esports paradigm.
Ballistic Will Change the Fortnite Scene
Fortnite Ballistic is a tactical shooter that borrows elements from Counter-Strike 2 and VALORANT.
Each game is split up into several rounds, and the model follows the traditional ‘attackers vs. defenders’ structure that we know from so many other games. In Ballistic, Attackers need to carry a Rift Point Device to one of two sites on the map and plant it while the defending team tries to prevent that from happening.
That’s as cut and dry as it gets in the esports world, and it’s a system mirrored by Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, and other games.
It’s a first-to-seven game, which means each series will be a lengthy one.
Like other titles, Fortnite Ballistic gives players the bare minimum when they start each match. They’ll have a Ranger Pistol and 800 credits, and they’ll need to manage their eco appropriately as the game unfolds, earning more credits for eliminating enemies and planting the Rift Point Device.
In many ways, this is the most cookie-cutter model possible, but in others, it could be a boon for the Fortnite esports ecosystem that has been sorely missing after many years of battle royale rotations.
In Ballistic, weapons and equipment have been tapered to a select few items, to keep things as balanced as possible. In place of abilities (like VALORANT), players can use ‘Flex Gadgets’ such as the Proximity Mine, Bubble Shield, and Recon Grenade to gain an edge over their opponents.
It sounds like a dream for competitive FPS fans, and the fact that it’s built in Fortnite – a free-to-play title – means that it’ll have a huge draw at launch on December 11. There will be a ranked and unranked offering for players to soak up, and new settings will be introduced to the game to address the addition of a first-person perspective.
It’s only launching with one map, but imagine what things will look like when there is a host of maps and more equipment to flick through. This could be a cultural shift for the Fortnite esports ecosystem.
For more of the latest esports news, stay tuned to Insider Gaming.
Comments