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Fortnite is introducing a new first-person team shooter game mode called Ballistic Mode, with early access due to start on December 11.
The new game mode is a round-based 5v5 shooter where teams are determined to either be attackers or defenders at the start of the match. Attackers are tasked with the goal of planting a “reality tearing Rift Point device” at one of two locations on the map, while the defenders attempt to prevent them from doing so.
What is Ballistic Mode in Fortnite?
There are no respawns in Ballistic mode – if a team is fully eliminated, the other team wins the round. Teams play six rounds as either attack or defense and then switch over. The round ends when one team has racked up seven wins.
If a player survives a round, they get to keep their items and weapons in the next round. Certain actions such as killing opponents or planting the Rift Point device will grant players credits which can be spent on goodies between rounds. Known as “flex gadgets”, players can equip themselves with a small selection of items from a frag grenade to a shield.
During early access, players will be able to play on a single map, the Skyline 10 map, with others to be added in the future. There will also be a limited selection of guns and items for players to use.
The Fortnite Ballistic team intend to take feedback from the early access into account before launch and plan to update with new maps, weapons, and features.
The game will feature both ranked play for competitive players who want to test their skill and unranked casual play.
How to play Fortnite Ballistic mode early access
Epic has not provided a specific time that Ballistic Mode early access will launch, but we expect it to be on a similar timeframe to other Fortnite releases.
We know it will be December 11, but timewise it’s likely (though not certain) to be 9 am ET (2 pm GMT) because this is the time previous game modes have usually launched. When it is live, it will be launched from the Fortnite launcher alongside the Battle Royale mode the game made its name with, and other modes like Lego Fortnite.
And if you just can’t wait until the 11th, you can get stuck into Fortnite’s Chapter Six content, which went live on December 1 and is themed around Japanese mythology.
Featured image credit: Epic Games
