‘Fortnite’ Patch Downtime Announced, Here’s What to Expect from the Update

Downtime for Fortnite’s next update has been announced with the patch planned to release in the morning on January 15th.

Epic Games alerted Fortnite players of the update’s release through the game’s official Twitter account as it typically does when an update is planned. Starting at 5 a.m. ET on Tuesday, server downtime will be experienced in preparation for the release of the v7.20 patch.

The full patch notes for that update haven’t been released yet and should be shared alongside its rollout, but players already have some expectations for the update based on what Epic Games has previewed this past week.

Glider Re-Deploying Returns

As Epic Games’ tweet hinted at, one of the features included in the next update that was most recently announced is the return of the glider re-deploy mechanic.

The feature has come and gone since it was first announced, but Epic Games appears to be bringing it back for good now, this time with a twist. Instead of being implemented as an always-on feature players can use when they get in trouble high above the ground, a “Glider Redeploy” item will be added for players to use. These items will be found throughout the normal stashes of loot and will have charges that players can use to re-deploy their glider at set heights. When the charges run out, the item will disappear and players will have to find another.

Full details on that new item and Epic Games’ reasoning behind the plan can be seen here.

New Weapon: Scoped Revolver

Along with the Glider Redeploy return, another new item will also be found in Fortnite after the update is released. Epic Games will add to its rotation of pistols and scoped weapons at the same time by introducing the Scoped Revolver.

“Six-shot pistol that packs a punch and provides perfect accuracy at range,” the description of the newly-revealed item reads.

Judging from the preview of the item, it’ll be a Legendary weapon that’s just as formidable up close as it is from a distance. What remains to be seen though is how effective it’ll be compared to other scoped weapons and if any inferior options will be Vaulted when the Scoped Revolver is released in the v7.20 update.

A Fix for Wall Building

The last guaranteed part of the v7.20 update is the release of a wall-building fix that gives players a free wall if most of their built structure is obstructed by the ground.

Epic Games announced the long-awaited resolution to a problem players have experienced with walls, especially when they’re trying to build underwater. If a wall is built and at least 70 percent of it is underground, Epic Games will compensate the player with a second wall that costs no resources, assuming the circumstances defined here are met.

“Under those circumstances, the required connecting piece will now build automatically and for free,” Epic Games said. “In addition, the connecting piece will inherit team ownership rules (and the material type) of the desired piece.”

Will the Driftboard Make an Appearance?

The previous features are all confirmed to be added in the next update, assuming no last-minute issues prevent that, but there’s one item that players still haven’t heard much about: The Driftboard.

Originally planned for a v7.10 release, the new vehicle was delayed almost immediately after being announced with Epic Games saying it needed more time to work on it.

“We know we set the expectation for the Driftboard to release in the coming update,” Epic Games said. “Unfortunately, we’ve decided to hold the release of this new vehicle to make some final quality of life changes and other polish improvements.”

There’s been some talk about whether it’ll be included in v7.20 or not after Epic Games has been working on it, though the developer hasn’t confirmed a new release date for it yet. It seems like it’d be an item Epic Games would tease again considering how much players have been asking about it, so while a v7.20 release seems unlikely, it’s still possible.