It seems as though Epic Games is once again following the path blazed by Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends. Earlier today, Fortnite announced the introduction of the “Reboot Van,” which comes to the game next week.
We're introducing the Reboot Van in v8.30! Learn all about it in our latest Dev Update.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 5, 2019
Arriving in the Fortnite v8.30 update next week, the Reboot Van works exactly as the Respawn Beacon does in Apex Legends. If a teammate dies, you can pick up their Respawn Card and deliver it to a Reboot Van.
The mechanics of the respawning work the same as in Apex Legends. The player will drop down with nothing but a pickaxe and the Reboot Van used will need to recharge.
While it’s plausible that Epic Games has been working on this for some time, the timing is questionable. Players across the globe are furious they reverted the Pop-Up Settings and are pleading for a fix. However, instead of reverting those changes, Epic adds in the coveted Reboot Van. Coincidence? It hardly seems like it.
Fortnite fights to keep pace with Apex Legends
If there were any questions about Apex Legends being Fortnite‘s top competitor, there aren’t any anymore. After the launch of Apex Legends in early February, Fortnite has seen a small drop in player count and popularity on streaming sites like Twitch.
Part of this is due to Apex being a fantastic game in its own right. However, the timing of Apex‘s release was impeccable, as Fortnite has been struggling with their updates recently. A slew of patches that weren’t received well by the community whatsoever has allowed Apex to slide into the limelight.
With the success of the Titanfall-based battle royale, Fortnite obviously needed to make some changes. Respawn Entertainment introduced many genre-changing mechanics that players almost universally praised. One of these features was the revolutionary pinging system that enabled users without microphones to communicate to their squadmates. Another addition they brought to battle royale was the Respawn Beacon.
Seeing the success of these additions, Epic Games decided it was time to innovate. In the Season 8 update, they introduced their own form of a pinging system. While not as in-depth as Apex Legends‘, it was a welcome change.
However, that seemed to not be enough for Epic. With the hugely negative reception their v8.20 update received, they have decided to take some more ideas from Respawn with the Reboot Van.
What do you think of the new Reboot Van coming? Let us know in the comments below. Keep up with Daily Esports for all of your Fortnite news and updates.
