Fortnite FPS mode steps up to the Call of Duty in new Ballistic playlist

Fortnite has long been a powerhouse in the third-person battle royale genre, but Epic Games’ brand-new competitive mode is the Fortnite FPS mode you’ve always wanted. Fortnite Ballistic proves that perspective is everything, and puts us right into the action in a team-based game mode with both ranked and unranked versions available in early access on December 11.

Taking notes from rival FPS games like Call of Duty: Mobile, this Search & Destroy-like take on Fortnite is all about tactical strategy, communication, and teamwork. Ballistic is looking to streamline that into a fully competitive game mode with no building, no respawns, and offering no quarter. It works in much the same way as CoD Seek & Destroy, with two teams of 5v5 going round after round to try and emerge victorious over the other. Teams are split into attackers and defenders in Fortnite Ballistic, with one trying to plant a reality-shredding Rift Point Device at a certain point of the map, while defenders are tasked with thwarting their efforts before the device can be detonated.

A round of Ballistic is over when the Rift Point Device explodes, or either team is fully eliminated. So, if you’re confident in your team’s killing capabilities, you can choose to ignore the device completely and go after the kills, or you can employ different tactics and strategies to try and confuse your opponents. After the first six rounds, players swap sides, but as soon as a team wins seven rounds they win the game.

You’ll start off with a Ranger Pistol and 800 credits, and you can earn more by eliminating opponents and planting the device. You’ll need to spend these hard-earned credits wisely at the beginning of each match on additional items and more powerful weapons. If you survive a round, then you get to keep your supplies, but if you die, then you’re back to square one and have to build up your credits again. Supplies include five Flex Gadgets, such as a bubble shield, or recon gadget to mark enemies through walls.

Like with all free mobile games of this ilk, we know for a fact there will be an almost immediate meta as soon as Fortnite Ballistic launches. We’re intrigued to see how the game plays out, and how that meta changes as we learn what strategies work and what doesn’t. But you’ll be able to practice in the unranked version of this new game mode to get a feel for the gadgets and weapons on offer before you try your hand at placing in a competitive rank.

We’ll see you in the lobby on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, when Fortnite Ballistic launches, but if you can’t wait until then, you can check out everything that’s going on in Epic Games’ battle royale with the latest Fortnite patch notes, and we have plenty of recommendations for the best games like Fortnite if you want to try your hand at something new.

Or, if you’re just after some free stuff, make sure to pick up the latest Lord of Nazarick codes and Age of Empires Mobile codes for some goodies in the most popular mobile games.