Is a Fortnite FPS mode in the works?

By Nicholas James

|

Feb 4, 2023

Reading time: 3 min

Rumors are circulating that Epic Games is looking at a Fortnite FPS mode, bringing Fortnite into the first-person shooter genre.

Fortnite has become one of the most popular games in the world, outlasting many of its battle royale siblings, as a consistently third-person affair. Recent suggestions from data miners and leakers have suggested that Epic Games is preparing the groundwork to shift the game fundamentally.

According to them, Epic Games has been adding new files and preparatory data to add a new first-person mode to the game. Some glitches have ever given fans sneak peeks at what it might look like, here’s everything we know about the possibility of a new FPS mode.

Fortnite FPS mode allegedly on its way

According to data miners and community leaker and news source ShiinaBR, Epic Games has added files to the game that would allow for players to try out Fortnite as an FPS. According to ShiinaBR, this mode would likely be released further into Chapter 4, in 2023. Shiina is a reliable source for information on updates to the game’s skins, gameplay, and more, and is confident about the addition of an FPS mode.

The tweet includes an image of Fortnite’s classic Build Mode in first-person view. Fortnite is a high-momentum shooter that can involve building enormous structures, and still involves tons of mobility tools in modes that lack building. These two aspects of the game could offer roadblocks for any first-person development. Fortnite’s third-person view offers extra information during moments of fast movement or build battles, and first-person could restrict that to the point of being unhelpful.

What would a Fortnite FPS mode look like?

It seems like the Fortnite code is more ready than it should be to make the jump to first-person. During the current Dragonball Super Fortnite event, fans have had weird glitches. These instances take the third-person camera, jamming it through the person’s body and making them look down the sights of their weapon in a very traditional FPS style.

In the clip, a player using the Piccolo skin lands using their glider and the camera slides forwards through the player model. From there the player, while aiming down his sights, has a classic FPS camera snap in to look directly down the weapon. From there, the player dispatches two enemies in a firefight before the camera pops back to the traditional third-person angle.

The two biggest issues that Epic Games faces in implementing this mode are building and mobility items, as well as vehicles. In the normal Battle Royale mode, players are asked to master building, editing, and adapting on the fly with the game’s iconic building system. This often involves rapid movements that are already difficult and dizzying with the extra field-of-view provided by third-person, first-person would likely only increase this.

The same applies to mobility tools like the Shockwave Hamer, where the constant rolling and spinning would be sure to cause motion sickness. The easiest solution to the issue of mobility and piloting vehicles is to swap to a third-person view.