Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1: Five best gameplay changes

Despite Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1 bringing new cosmetics and skins, as well as a whole new map based on Hollywood, Epic Games has also released a plethora of new gameplay mechanics and improvements to the free-to-play battle royale title. The Chapter 7 battle pass also brings several characters from movie-based franchises, such as Marty McFly from the Back to the Future series.

Driveable reboot vans will make it easier for players to revive others on the go, instead of being in one place, as well as the user interface getting a glow-up, which now makes it easier to quickly glance at your health, gold collected, and more. With plenty of improvements that Epic Games has revealed, we’re listing five of the best so far.

Since Fortnite’s 2016 inception, the way of entering the map has always been through the Battle Bus. You’d jump out and then land in a location to defeat opponents and complete objectives. Chapter 7, Season 1, changes this by starting players surfing a huge wave.

You control your character soon after you find them on this wave, letting you ride on this surfboard until the timer runs out. Suddenly, they’ll leap off the board and start flying above the map, before gliding to the ground. It’s a brand new way to enter the map, yet very refreshing after so many years of the Battle Bus. It’s fun, different, and there’s potential to customise your surfboard if Epic Games decides to keep this mechanic.

Not only does Chapter 7, Season 1 bring a new map, but several items have also been introduced that can help the player in several ways. The first is a wingsuit, which lets players leap high into the sky, then glide for a short period of time. It’s a great way of escaping close-quarter battles that you may be losing, as well as leaping off high areas.

Another highlight is the self-revive device. When players were knocked down, many had to hope that teammates would find and revive them. Now, though, this item will let players revive themselves. It removes a big pain point, especially for those moments when teammates are on the other side of the map and won’t have time to reach them.

The self-revive device isn’t the only improvement gameplay-wise for when players are knocked down. For years, players could only make their character crawl and hope that teammates could revive them in time. Now, though, a new move has been introduced in Chapter 7, Season 1.

If opponents attempt to eliminate someone, a roll mechanic can now be used by pressing the jump button, which can dodge some attacks but also lets players quickly get to some shelter close by. It’s a great way to avoid some close-combat attacks, something that could finally make being knocked down a less-frustrating experience.

With every major chapter in Fortnite, the user interface also gets some improvements. Chapter 6 brought some new icons to it, but this time, some major changes have been introduced, such as making it easier for players to quickly glance at certain sections when there’s a tense firefight happening.

For example, team members are now on the bottom left instead of the top left, so everyone’s health is now in one place. When sprinting, the bar appears at the centre of the bottom screen, fading away when it’s not being used. In addition, the countdown for future storm circles, remaining players, and more are now to the left of the map, as well as the weapon icons and fonts being refreshed. Overall, it’s a much-improved experience all round, and something we hope will stay unchanged for the foreseeable future.

Arguably, one of the biggest gameplay changes that has arrived in Fortnite Chapter 7, Season 1 – a reboot van can now be driven. For years, players would have to collect reboot cards and then find a stationary reboot van to revive them. Now, though, this change has improved the process.

These driveable reboot vans are scattered across the new Chapter 7 map, where players can be revived as they move around. But another benefit is the ability to revive knocked-down players with the van. By having them put into the back of the vehicle, they’re instantly brought back, levelling the playing field. It’s a fun challenge to find wounded teammates and throw them into the reboot van, letting you plan out your next move.

Since its November 30 debut, Chapter 7, Season 1 of Fortnite is already a big hit with players, racking up almost three million logging into the title to enjoy the big changes that Epic Games has made to it. Whether you’re a new or existing player, there are plenty of improvements that make this new chapter one to remember. Indeed, those who have worked on this new chapter have commented on how it brings Fortnite back to its roots, and it’s easy to see how.

The new knockdown mechanics, as well as a driveable reboot van, have already changed how players in teams plan out their strategies. Epic Games has already confirmed that there are plans for more updates to come, so we’ll be keeping track of whether more welcome gameplay improvements will appear soon.