''Fortnite Ballistic'' is an upcoming tactical first-person shooter

game mode In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, wh ...

for ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game and game platform developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in seven distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: '' Fortnite Battle Roy ...

.'' It was released into early access on December 11, 2024. It received mixed responses from critics upon its early access release.

Gameplay

''Ballistic'' is a tactical first-person shooter accessible via the ''

'' launcher. In the mode, two teams of five players compete against each other across several rounds, with one team aiming to plant a "Rift Point Device" at a designated location on the map, and the other team attempting to stop them. When a player is killed, they cannot respawn until the next round; the round can also be won based on which team is the last one standing. In-between rounds, players are able to purchase weapons and other types of equipment to use against enemy players, such as pistols, shotguns, and grenades. Similar to other tactical shooters, like ''

Counter-Strike ''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games, in which opposing teams attempt to complete various objectives. The series began on Windows in 1999 with the release of the first game, '' Counte ...

'' or ''

Valorant ''Valorant'' is a 2020 First-person shooter, first-person tactical shooter, tactical hero shooter video game developed and published by Riot Games. A free-to-play game, ''Valorant'' takes inspiration from the ''Counter-Strike'' series, borrow ...

'', the guns are more accurate when players are standing still. The first team to win seven rounds wins the match.

Release

''Ballistic'' was first announced via a blog post on December 7, 2024, before being released into early access on December 11. It was made available on all platforms ''Fortnite'' itself was available on and released with one map, "Skyline 10". Alongside the modes early access release, Epic stated that the mode will receive updates over time to expand upon its content. Upon the mode's release, it immediately began facing server issues caused by an influx of players attempting to play it.

Reception

Opinions on ''Ballistic'' upon its initial early access release were mixed. Jake Tucker of ''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...

'' was very critical of the mode in its initial state, calling it a "disappointment" that "doesn't work for a bunch of different reasons". He highlighted what he felt was a lack of content at launch, wishing for more variety in the weapon selection, while also criticizing the mode's movement and what he felt was unrewarding gameplay. He further described the mode as a "featureless porridge of its influences, garnished with ''Fortnite'' theming." ''Polygon'''s Ana Diaz shared similar thoughts, viewing the game itself as unpolished and criticized its server issues, though she felt that there was a good basis for a first-person shooter game present. ''Kotaku'''s Zack Zwiezen believed that ''Ballistic'' itself was unfinished and "rough around the edges", though felt that the mode was still enjoyable and demonstrated that Epic Games was capable of creating a good first-person shooter experience within ''Fortnite''.

References

{{Fortnite Android (operating system) games First-person shooters Fortnite Nintendo Switch games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 5 games Unreal Engine 5 games Windows games Xbox One games Xbox Series X and Series S games