Players who log into Epic's massively popular Fortnite: Battle Royale today may notice something very eye-brow raising listed as part of the season three update. At the top of the list, above a new cosmetic glider and a new battle pass, sits an entry for a new jetpack item. It has the appearance of just being another cosmetic item, but the attention Epic is giving it may indicate that it's going to be something more.

Epic's version of the battle royale multiplayer game has been enjoying a great deal of success lately as the more approachable and less cheat-friendly alternative to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Like its competition, Fortnite drops players onto a large map and tasks them with scrounging up supplies and outlasting their opponents until only one is left standing. Beyond that, the differences are quite noticeable. Where PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds is focused on mobility, Fortnite puts emphasis on quickly building fortifications in order to gain an advantage.

In addition to the item being listed in Fortnite's "New Updates" window, Epic sent out a brief tweet to highlight the upcoming addition. The developer hasn't confirmed exactly what the nature of this item is, but the extra attention and its "take the fight to all new heights" description are leading many to think that the jetpack will actually be functional rather than purely cosmetic.

Fortnite currently doesn't offer any direct methods of transportation beyond running and a jump pad, so the addition of what can essentially be considered a vehicle would be an exciting development. Epic has already set its sights on improving the game's building mechanics, so making adjustments to its movement systems wouldn't be surprising. That said, adding something like a jetpack to Fortnite could have a major impact on how the game is currently played. Players piloting jetpacks could potentially bypass other players' fortifications, making it that much more difficult to use the game's building mechanics as a means to defend oneself or gain a tactical advantage.

Right now, gaining or creating the high-ground is incredibly important in Fortnite, so the addition of a flying vehicle will have to be treated with the utmost care if Epic is going to avoid upsetting the game balance. While it may very well be that this season three version of the jetpack will end up as a purely cosmetic item, that doesn't mean the real thing couldn't be added some later season. If that's the case, then Epic would do well to pay attention to fan's reactions to this and keep it in should they ever decide to do so.

Fortnite is currently available in early access for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.