Fortnite brings back building, to offer a no-build alternative via Fortnite Zero Build

Fortnite – Epic Games’ cross-platform battle royale game – has reintroduced building, after it was removed at the start of Chapter Three, Season Two. Building is one of the most notable elements of the free-to-play title, which rivals popular games like Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India and Call of Duty: Warzone/Mobile, none of which offer building. Epic Games says players will be able to choose between the regular Battle Royale mode which will feature building, and Fortnite: Zero Build which will continue to feature a non-building mode.

Epic Games announced the return of building to Fortnite on Saturday, two weeks after the ability to build structures in the game was “wiped out” at the start of Chapter Three, Season Two on March 20. Over the past two weeks, Fortnite has offered players a series of quests to help bring building back to Fortnite, including visiting various landmarks and locating blueprints located around the island. On March 29, Fortnite added dedicated Zero Build modes for Solo, Duos, Trios, and Squad modes to the game, days before building was added back to the game.

Building in Fortnite sets the game apart from competing Battle Royale games by allowing players to build basic structures such as walls, floors, stairs, and roofs. To build, players must harvest metal, stone, and wood by destroying various objects on the island. Players can also collect building materials harvested by another player after eliminating them in-game. Fortnite also allows players to “modify” a structure, such as adding a door. Wooden structures build the fastest, while metal takes the longest, giving players the option to heal or reload quickly before facing a nearby player.

In order to compensate for the protection offered by the construction, Fortnite had introduced an “overshield” which recharges over time. Along with the ability to build ramps to climb to the top of removed structures, Fortnite had also introduced faster sprinting and the ability to quickly climb walls and single-story structures. Although these abilities will remain available in non-build mode, which is now a dedicated part of Fortnite playlists, Epic Games has not revealed if Fortnite Zero Build will be a permanent addition to the battle royale title.