Fortnite just came out with a big new patch today, adding one significant weapon to the game that has the potential to be meta-changing.
That would be the new Heavy AR, which comes in rare, epic and legendary variants, and has the following stats based on those tiers:
- Deals 44 / 46 / 48 damage
- 75 Fire Rate
- Has a magazine size of 25
The Heavy AR would appear to be an addition to Fortnite that fans have been asking for for a while now, a variant of the AK-47 in the game, as many other Fortnite guns are based on existing weaponry in the real world, the FAMAS, the Desert Eagle, the AR15 and so on.
But drawing on my knowledge of guns that is entirely based on Call of Duty, I think this is not actually an AK, but instead an RPK, another Russian-made gun that looks similar, but is well, heavier. The Heavy AR is not identical to either gun, but given that this is supposed to be a “heavy” AR, the RPK makes more sense, so that’s probably what this actually is.
Elsewhere in the patch we have a new team-based zombie mode, the return of Blitz, and not all that much else. But something found in the leaked files of the game suggests that something far more interesting may be coming.
Bumble (Vehicle) Sounds, it’s a plane. pic.twitter.com/og4s83BAqK
— Fortnite: Battle Royale Leaks (@FNBRLeaks) November 6, 2018
There are files that indicate a new vehicle called the “Bumblebee” is on the horizon. The twist here is that it appears to be aerial vehicle, and the leaked sound files indicate that it may be some sort of plane.
How this works and how big it is is anyone’s guess, as there has not been any art leaked for the Bumblebee yet. It could be something tiny, a personal flying vehicle, or it could be something larger for an entire squad, a way to get from one end of the map to the other quickly. Presumably you could use such a vehicle to outrun the storm, or essentially a second battle bus, allowing you to drop and glide from up high to a new location.
We have also heard about another vehicle, the Antelope, that’s supposed to be coming at some point in the future, so it appears that Fortnite really wants to expand its garage past the ATK, Quadcrasher and I guess the shopping cart, if you count that as a vehicle. A plane would be pretty significant, depending on how it worked, and I’d love to see the challenges that went along with it once it arrived.
Get out there and try out the AK/RPK/Heavy AR for yourself and see if it’s going to be a factor going forward. My hunch is yes, but we’ll see.
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