Fortnite has now seen the release of Chapter 3 toward the end of 2021, and it was met with the usual Fortnite-styled over-the-top event that saw the entire island flip over to end the threat of the Last Reality. Players wash up on a completely new map filled with brand new POIs, and Epic Games has been steadily introducing a number of changes to the game to improve player experience. The latest of these changes just went live and Fortnite is introducing some weather effects. Tornadoes and Lightning have arrived on the island.
To kick off this game-changing overhaul, Fortnite has started a week-long event called Tornado Week, which will run until January 17. During tornado week, there’s an increased likelihood of tornadoes. Players shouldn’t panic though. These tornados are harmless, it seems. Epic Games has stated that these will lift players into the sky and allow them to glide to the ground, making them a mobility utility rather than a dangerous threat. Tornadoes can be used to escape, reposition, or even launch a surprise attack. This might make them function akin to another amazing Fortnite feature, Spider-Man’s web-swinging, that was also implemented earlier this season. However, tornadoes will not be available in competitive playlists yet.
Another weather effect to debut in Fortnite alongside the tornado is the lightning storm. The lightning storm is indicated by a formation of gray clouds in the sky. If players venture underneath the gathering of storm clouds, they will be treated to a slew of lightning strikes around them, and possibly even on them. Unlike the tornado, however, the lightning storm has the potential to damage players, and also set adjacent areas and structures in Fortnite on fire to cause further destruction. Players hit by lightning will get a temporary speed boost. Like the tornado, this makes lightning strikes an effective mobility tool, though in a vastly different way. Due to the ability to incur damage, players should aim to use lightning strikes more tactically than a tornado.
Tornadoes & Lightning In Fortnite Change How Players Handle Combat & Mobility
Players looking to get swept up by a tornado in Fortnite simply have to arrive at the base of one to get swept up. Players looking to be hit by lightning can either jump into a body of water or reach the highest point of land depending on where the storm clouds are forming. Once a player has been hit by lightning, they won’t be hit again afterward. Hopefully, players looking to get struck have a med-mist on hand to quickly heal from the damage. Like the tornado, the lightning strikes in Fortnite will not be in the competitive playlist. It is unknown if lightning storms will receive a weeklong event like the tornadoes have.
While the Chapter has just begun, these changes to mobility and traversal have already created a vastly improved way to maneuver the map. The tornado and the lightning strike aren’t the first mobility utilities that have been introduced this season. The tornado and the lightning storm join Fortnite in Season 1 of Chapter 3 alongside another game-changing mobility tool: the slide. The changes aren’t done yet either. Rumors of rideable animals have been circulating with increased intensity and could be the next major change to player mobility.
Players will also remember being able to drive UFOs in Season 7 of Chapter 2 and fighter planes in Season 7 Chapter 1, adding aerial combat to the mix. There are currently no items that allow for this. However, with the numerous mobility changes Fortnite has been implementing, those might not be too far off once the showdown between IO and The Foundation begins.
