Fortnite Chapter 2: 9 hidden changes you may not have noticed
From bots to dolphin hopping.
Tin cans aren't the only thing you can fish for.
Fortnite Chapter 2 is here and the game has changed a lot. Some changes are obvious, such as a new island, but others aren't so easy to notice.
Since Fortnite returned Tuesday after the black hole event, players continue to discover alterations made to the battle royale game by developer Epic Games. Some are fun, while others are there to help improve the playing experience.
Here are some of the changes you may not have noticed.
1. You're playing against bots
Have you noticed that you're doing a little better in Fortnite? Getting more kills? Maybe finally getting that Victory Royale? Well, that's because you're playing against bots.
I figured out how to tell the difference between bots and real players pre lobby screen. Bots will do emotes and you cant mimic them. You can only mimic real players emotes. Test it out and you ll see what i mean guys. Also, bots stop dancing after about 10 seconds without doing any actions to stop. from FortNiteBR
Epic said earlier in the month that it was working on implementing bots, and it did just that in Fortnite Chapter 2. In matches, there are a set number of bots added depending on a player's skill level. The lower the skill level, the more bots and vice versa. It appears Epic wants players who are new or aren't that great to get some matches under their belts with moving targets instead of being thrown into the deep end with high-level players.
2. You can grab other players with the fishing pole
The fishing pole is a new item in Fortnite Chapter 2. They can be found all over the island and when equipped, players can drop a hook in a river or lake to find fish that replenish health or shields, weapons and cans that can be thrown at enemies.
Fishing poles can also grab onto other players and pull them a short distance. One Reddit user who was testing this out on a teammate ended up saving a life by pulling his or her friend out of harm's way with the pole.
3. Slurpy Swamp can heal you
Slurpy Swamp is one of the new points of interest on the map and is based around a Slurp Juice factory. Slurp Juice is a consumable item in the game that gives players a shield. So with the factory dumping the product into the waters around it, those waterways can also replenish a player's health and shield. Just wade around the glowing rivers in Slurpy Swamp to see the effect. There's also a sewer pipe exit where the special water flows that really speeds up the health and shield gauge.
4. You can see through the storm
One small change is the storm circle. It's now much easier to see through the storm wall. This helps players who want to snipe others running through the storm.
5. The big fish in Retail Row can dance
Players who explored Retail Row may have seen a giant fish hanging on a building. Dancing near it will cause it to dance and play a little music similar to the Big Mouth Billy Bass.
6. Carrying a downed opponent
If teammates have lost all of their health and are crawling on the ground, also known as being downed, you can pick them up to get them out of harm's way. However, players have noticed that they can grab a downed player even if they're not on their team -- some are calling it kidnapping. It's resulting in some hilarious videos of players carrying opponents and dropping them off buildings.
7. Buried treasure
Fortnite Chapter 2's island has a lot of beaches and with that, some buried treasure. Chests can be found in the sand on various beaches. Just keep your ears open to hear the sound effect emanating from the chests and then start digging.
8. Take Motorboats on land and air
Motorboats are now found on the island to let players move across the water faster, but their functionality doesn't stop there. Players have been taking the boats onto the land as well as to the air.
Epic appears to be interested in the feedback from players over the boats' unforeseen usage. It tweeted on Friday whether they should be for just water or not.
Motorboat on land. Yay or nay?
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) October 18, 2019
9. Dolphin hopping
Swimming is a new way to traverse across the island. While it's fast, there's a way to get a little boost by jumping. Pressing the jump button while swimming will cause the player to do a quick dolphin hop out of the water. Doing this will give you a speed boost. Keeping it up will really make a player fly across the water.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.
