Summary

  • Fortnite may introduce true superhero abilities soon.
  • The leak suggests Hero Abilities will be tiered and found as loot, making them integral to gameplay.
  • Some players are excited about the potential shift in Fortnite's portrayal of superhero characters beyond cosmetics.

A new leak about the next season of hit battle royale Fortnite suggests that true superhero abilities may debut in the game. Fortnite has featured many superhero characters over the years, but mostly confined their unique powers to special situations.

Though Fortnite is best known these days for its battle royale mode, developer and publisher Epic Games is truly leaning into making the game more of a platform for almost any kind of experience. The game hosts a wide variety of different ways to have fun. That said, Epic is also continually adding to its battle royale mode, debuting new items, maps, events, and skins for players to don, making it clear that Fortnite continues to be driven at its core by that foundational gameplay, regardless of whatever else pops up in the margins.

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Rumors indicate that one of the main Fortnite mechanics might be significantly reworked, greatly changing how the early game plays out.

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And according to a new leak from HypeX, the next major twist to that core gameplay could be coming in the form of "Hero Abilities," a new type of pickup that could debut as early as the next season. According to the leak, Hero Abilities will be different from the way Fortnite has managed superhero powers in the past. Whereas superpowers like Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet or the Deku Smash power from My Hero Academia took the form of Mythic weapons with limited "ammunition," the Hero Abilities will reportedly not be governed by that mechanic, and be used more like the superpowers seen in hero shooters or other ability-based gameplay types.

Fortnite Leak Claims Hero Abilities Will Launch Next Season

The leak post from HypeX also claimed that Hero Abilities (or whatever they end up being called in the finalized version) will be treated like the loot and weapons found in the current version of the game. "Regular Tier" Hero Abilities will be found scattered on the ground as "floor loot," like most other items. "High Tier" abilities will be confined to loot chests and Fortnite supply drops. The tiering implies that Hero Abilities will vary in power and desirability, with High Tier abilities being rarer and potentially more valuable. The post also included a lineup of concept art showing a number of original characters wearing form-fitting hero suits. Though the suit designs varied, all were united by a common star motif and a majority black color scheme.

Reaction to the leak was generally positive, with many players on Twitter demanding that Epic Games just "skip to this season" rather than continue the ongoing Fortnite Star Wars Galactic Battle. Others envisioned Hero Abilities being the vanguard of a new shift in the way Fortnite treats superhero characters, as superhero skins are still largely just cosmetic, with the standard gameplay continuing to revolve around guns and other weapons. In this vein, some players joked by feigning surprise at the notion that characters like Superman, Naruto, and others have powers other than shooting guns.

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Fortnite
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Survival
Battle Royale
Shooter
Action
Adventure
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
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Released
September 26, 2017
ESRB
T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Epic Games
Publisher(s)
Epic Games
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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Play Fortnite your way.

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Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
Cross Save
Via Epic Account
Number of Players
1-4 players (online)
PC Release Date
September 26, 2017
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
November 10, 2020
PS5 Release Date
November 12, 2020
Nintendo Switch Release Date
June 12, 2018
Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
June 5, 2025
Genre(s)
Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Local Co-Op Support
1-4 players (certain modes)
X|S Optimized
YES