‘Fortnite’ Season 4 Brings Major Changes To ‘Battle Royale’ Map Plus A Gravity Defying New Mechanic

Fortnite: Battle Royale has been teasing an incoming meteor impact for a couple of weeks now. Impact finally arrived Tuesday with the start of Season 4, and it brings significant changes to the multiplayer shooter’s map, which introduces a new mechanic that makes players even more mobile.

Players have speculated where the meteor would crash on the Fortnite: Battle Royale map as smaller meteors fell on different parts of the map. While some thought it might be Tilted Towers, it turns out Dusty Depot has been wiped out and replaced by a crater dubbed Dust Divot.

Dusty Divot now sports a couple of partially destroyed warehouses and a collection of field research buildings that are reminiscent of the same kind of structures from the first Thor movie where S.H.I.E.L.D. was investigating Thor’s hammer. This is rumored to be built up as Season 4 progresses.

Other major changes include a newly named area in the northeast corner of the Fortnite: Battle Royale map called Risky Reels, themed as a drive-in theater. Meanwhile, Moisty Mire has received an overhaul with what appears to be more loot available.

Small heroes and villains easter eggs are placed throughout the map. For example, the mountain to the northeast of Snobby Shores now features a bunker with what looks like a nuclear missile parked inside. There is also a command center located underneath Salty Springs.

The meteor impact introduces a brand-new mechanic called Hop Rocks for players to try out. These shards of the comet are located around the main Dusty Divot crater plus smaller craters scattered around the map. Picking up and using one of these stones grants lower than usual gravity for the player, which allows jumps that go higher and further. The effect only lasts for one minute, however, so use it wisely.

Major changes to Fortnite: Battle Royale with the start of Season 4 includes changes to how headshots are registered. A player on the receiving end of a shot will no longer have headshots blocked by other body parts, such as a hand.

Gameplay has been impacted elsewhere such as the Crossbow being placed in the vault, meaning it will no longer be available in-game for the time being. Additionally, the Rocket Launcher aim reticle is now a fixed size regardless of player movement.

Non-gameplay improvements include the availability of all emotes and sprays owned during a match and not just those placed in the six slots. Epic Games also added the option for players to mark their favorite cosmetic items in the Fortnite: Battle Royale locker.

Naturally, a new season means a new Fortnite: Battle Royale Battle Pass. The price has not changed for Season 4 but the contents have. There does not appear to be anything to the level of the John Wick skin, though the all-black Omega outfit is the ultimate goal.