With most players focused on the big and exciting new additions that Fortnite Battle Royale's v3.5.0's update brings, like the Port-a-Fort, it would be easy to overlook a huge game-changer for console players: the new Builder Pro controller layout.

Since Fortnite Battle Royale's release, the speed and ease with which keyboards allow players to build structures have clearly separated PC players from their console counterparts. Now, with the Builder Pro layout, each structure type (walls, floors, stairs, and roofs) has its own separate buttons, allowing much faster swapping between them and thus bringing console players much closer to the frantic and intricate building seen from the PC pros.

To switch between structures, players must press the desired structure's assigned button once, with every subsequent press placing that piece. Meanwhile, switching between materials and traps will now be done with the d-pad. This building-orientated layout is something fans have been requesting since the release of Fortnite Battle Royale, and so its addition serves as the latest evidence of Epic Games' ever-growing reputation for constantly altering the game based on fan feedback.

fortnite fortress

Of course, such a drastic change to button layouts will come with an adjustment period - players switching to the Builder Pro layout will no-doubt see their building ability get drastically worse before it gets better. However, once accustomed to the new layout, it will cut the number of inputs needed to complete a simple life-saving structure (two walls and some stairs) in half. In Fortnite, where battles are won and lost on players' ability to quickly erect such defensive barriers, the difference will be crucial.

It will be interesting to see how many people notice the addition, and how many simply overlook the minor change in the patch notes as inconsequential compared to the new Replay mode and the return of 50vs50. Building speed is very important to Fornite Battle Royale players - some even connect a keyboard and mouse to their consoles for a leg-up on the competition - so while Builder Pro may go under the radar for a while, it's very likely we'll see it become a staple of the console meta-game in weeks to come.

Fortnite Battle Royale is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.