Among a myriad of new skins, wraps, emotes, major map changes, and more, Fortnite is also introducing a new weapon in season 8, the Pirate Cannon. It's worth mentioning that the wildly popular battle royale title is taking a page from Sea of Thieves' book, though, as players can actually be fired out of the new cannon.
According to the official patch notes for the Fortnite season 8 update, players will be able to push this cannon into position, take aim, and fire either cannonballs or players, including themselves. These new weapons can be found throughout the environment and can deal 100 damage to enemies on a direct hit and 50 damage to enemies within a small radius.
It remains uncertain exactly how launching Fortnite players will work, but as soon as players drop on the new battle island, it's likely to make itself clear. Many will likely be testing the capabilities of the Pirate Cannon, seeing how many structures they can destroy, how far they can be launched, and which is more effective: cannonballs or players. It seems likely that these cannons will be incredibly effective against structures, though not as destructive as the X-4 Stormwing plane, which was vaulted alongside the Shopping Cart.
As seen below, however, it does look like loads of fun. It'll be interesting to see what the Fortnite community can manage to do with these cannons, as interesting kills and strategies have been implemented by the multitude of items found on the battle island.
Fortnite's season 8 Battle Pass adds to this pirate aesthetic by adding new emotes, wraps, and skins alongside the Pirate Cannon. These skins range from Hybrid the reptilian ninja and Blackheart the pirate to the banana-themed skin which was teased prior to the official launch. Combining this info with the addition of the Pirate Cannon would suggest that Fortnite season 8 was blasting off.
Fortnite is out now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.