Earlier today, Fortnite patch v11.30 went live, bringing a number of changes to Epic Games' battle royale sensation. These changes include the introduction of split screen, an increase to the daily Item Shop gifting limit, and more, but it is what patch 11.30 reveals about the future of Fortnite that fans may find most exciting. Indeed, players have already gone to work combing through the game files associated with today's update, and something quite interesting has emerged.
Specifically, players have discovered reference to a Fortnite Annual Pass in the update 11.30 game files, and it appears that this pass will allow fans to commit to the game in an entirely new way. As per the pass description, players that purchase the 2020 Annual Pass will "receive all upcoming 2020 Fortnite Battle Royale: Battle Bundles and seven Annual Pass exclusive cosmetics," and it is further clarified that "Battle Bundles unlock 25% of content in each Battle Pass instantly upon release."
For the uninitiated, a Battle Bundle is a premium version of a Fortnite Battle Pass, and players that intend to play the game throughout the upcoming calendar year may find the Annual Pass of particular interest, especially if it is less expensive than buying a year's worth of Battle Bundles separately. That said, neither a price nor a release date for the Fortnite Annual Pass has been officially confirmed, and fans may thus want to reserve their judgement on this new offering until Epic has spoken on the matter.
With respect to when that might occur, it is indicated that there will be a special Fortnite-related announcement at The Game Awards 2019, which is set to take place tonight. Perhaps this announcement will be Epic's official reveal of the Fornite Annual Pass, and maybe the developer will even show off some of the exclusive cosmetics mentioned in the description, though some of those have already been leaked as well.
While the fervor around Fortnite may have waned slightly over the course of 2019, the battle royale still remains extremely popular and has an absolutely massive playerbase. It remains to be seen how many of these Fortnite players will be willing to commit to another year of the shooter upfront, but if the price is right, it is certain that a number of fans will jump at the chance to purchase the Annual Pass.
Fortnite is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
Source: Fortnite News