- Fortnite Ballistic is launching in early access on December 11
- It’s a 5v5 competitive first-person mode similar to Counter-Strike’s bomb defusal
- Your Fortnite cosmetics will be supported in Ballistic
Fortnite is getting a brand new no-build mode this week, and it’s one that might ring a little familiar to Counter-Strike fans.
The mode, Fortnite Ballistic, is launching in early access on December 11. As detailed by the developer team in a recent blog post, it differs greatly from the standard battle royale mode by offering a more compact 5v5 experience on a bespoke map. It’s also played from a first-person perspective instead of Battle Royale’s third-person view. Ballistic launches with one map – Skyline 10 – with more coming via future updates.
The aim of Ballistic – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – is to plant a ‘Rift Point Device’ at a designated point on the map. If you’re on the attacking team, your job is to ensure the device detonates by holding off the other team. The defenders, meanwhile, must prevent it from exploding. The game concludes when one team has won seven rounds.
It’s very much practically identical to Counter-Strike’s legendary bomb-defusing mode. Another similarity in Ballistic is the ability to Earn credits and spend them on new weapons and gadgets at the start of a round, allowing each team’s loadout to steadily evolve and improve as the match progresses.
Both ranked and unranked modes will be available for Ballistic, and items in your Fortnite locker will be supported with some exceptions; skins, back blings, weapon wraps, sprays, and emotes are all usable, but items including pickaxes, contrails, and instruments aren’t.