It’ll probably come back soon enough, but enjoy the freedom for now

Building inFortnitehas been turned off for the brand new season of the game, which just debuted over the weekend. The biggest change? Building is gone. And I have to say, I love it!

PC-quick-building is one of the lapsed playerbase’s big pet peeves, and with this gone, the action is focused entirely on maneuvering and shooting. It would be silly to go so far as to say that it makes the game feel “fresh,” but I was able to acclimate very quickly, and even in my first game with Chapter 3 Season 2, I didn’t feel the muscle-memory urge to build. Not doing it felt natural.

building in Fortnite

Smartly, Epic Games is incorporating a story reason for why building inFortniteisn’t a thing anymore (implying it will return once you discover the magical reason why it’s happening, and thwart the enemy faction’s [IO] plans); and in competitive modes, building is intact (“building is unaffected in competitive/Arena playlists as well as in Team Rumble and Creative Islands” as per Epic). So it’s not a bold 100% gambit, but welcome all the same.

And with a new season comes a new battle pass, with Doctor Strange at the top (withSpiderverse‘s Prowler coming at a later date, similar to the Queen, or The Rockin previous passes). The new sprinting and jumping system isveryreminiscent of the animations inCrackdown, as players can now basically clamber up buildings through sheer force of will.

Oda Nobunaga and Yasuka on horses next to marching armies

Miyabi and a round spirit wreathed in blue flames in Zenless Zone Zero

Two Fortnite characters performing Wanna See Me: a soldier striking a finger-gun pose and a paramedic dancing, set against a blue background.

Nexus Control Center Interface in Arknights: Endfield

Sekiro

Lucille, the baseball bat, visible in the mod for Left 4 Dead 2.

Elden Ring cracked statues

Elden Ring Walking Mausoleums 1

The splashart for Hextech Ziggs, showcasing the furry yordle being blown into the sky by his own bomb.