As many Fortnite fans will surely agree, the multiplayer sandbox survival title has seen Season 4 introduce its fair share of changes, with content ranging from alterations to the map, fresh cosmetics, new weaponry, and more. Now, it looks like this season of the free-to-play Battle Royale portion of Epic Games' hybrid construction shooter could finally be including the long-awaited Jetpack item that was set to be added to the game not too long ago.
As seen in the tweet below from the Twitter account known as Fortnite: Battle Royale Leaks, a recent datamine of the game's Update 4.2 files seems to have made a reference in the patch's code to a Limited Time Mode known as Close Encounters, which will feature “close-quarters combat with Shotguns and Jetpacks.” Should the information provided be accurate, then the LTM along with Jetpacks will be making their way into the game at some point during Week 5.
According to the above description of the purported Close Encounters mode, Fortnite fans will be able to utilize Jetpacks by double-tapping the jump button while holding it down to apply thrust. Interestingly enough, they seem to run on a limited amount of fuel, so players will need to keep an eye on the gas gauge and land before completely running out of juice.
For those unaware, Jetpacks were initially set for inclusion in Fortnite during Season 3 of the title, but the item received an indefinite delay from Epic Games due to the developer having discovered an undisclosed flaw in its design. This was around the beginning of March earlier this year, so there's no doubt that if the details presented in the above datamine are correct, then fans would be elated to have them added.
Aside from Jetpacks, the aforementioned datamine also possibly uncovered even more content to come to Fortnite during Season 4, with a Competitive Mode on the way, as well as a slew of new skins, pickaxes, and gliders. All things considered, if Epic Games decides to incorporate all of these as-of-yet confirmed assets into Fortnite, then it would be just another step on the developer's part to evolving the title into a completely different entity than what was initially offered to the public just last summer.
Fortnite is available now in early access for iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.