Fortnite continues to introduce new characters from across different universes into the game as part of its bounty hunter-focused fifth season. Continuing its trend of the unexpected, Fortnite looks to be adding a truly fearsome hunter to its roster in the form of Predator.
Epic Games' free-to-play battle royale just released its 15.2 update, which, among other things, saw the addition of a Predator spray and banner icon. The addition of the alien hunter comes as no surprise to some, who pointed out signs over a month ago that Fortnite was teasing the crossover event.
The official Fortnite Twitter account posted a brief, five-second video that begins with Fishstick waving at an oddly shaped metal blob. The clip then shows a close-up of who (or what) the Atlantean character is greeting, which is none other than Predator's pod. Players looking to find the pod's location can find it in Stealthy Stronghold, more specifically in the northwest corner. Locating the crash-landed ship is actually one of the first batch of challenges related to Predator, and will grant players access to its banner icon. Players who have already investigated the crash site have reported being able to hear Predator sounds in the general vicinity, but the alien has yet to show its face.
Predator as a character has had somewhat of a renaissance in recent years. In addition to dropping into Fortnite, the otherworldly bounty hunter starred in the 2020 release Predator: Hunting Grounds, an asymmetrical shooter that essentially acts as a playable version of its debut 1987 film. While there have been plenty of sequels and spinoffs (of varying quality), fans are excited about the recently announced Predator movie, coming from the director of 10 Cloverfield Lane.
It's currently unclear what, if any, pieces of Predator's arsenal will make its way into Fortnite. One big aspect of the character that gamers want to know about is its signature cloaking ability. Should Epic Games decide to add the feature, it's likely to be an equippable item, rather than an advantage directly tied to the skin. This is certainly the safer decision, especially after fans' recent accusations of another skin of being pay to win.
The addition of the extraterrestrial has many Fortnite players excited. Unlike characters like Halo's Master Chief or God of War's Kratos, Predator is an actual hunter through and through. Not to mention the potentiality of some thermal-based weaponry. However, there are plenty of Fortnite haters out there that want to keep their trophy hunting gory. Fortunately, Predator: Hunting Grounds recently added new content, which features NFL star Marshawn Lynch as a playable character.
Fortnite is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.