Fortnite is one of the most popular games on the market right now, and one of the ways it maintains that popularity is by providing players with a constantly evolving experience. Not only does the game shower its players with a steady stream of crossover events, but new developments in the story are also often accompanied by new challenges and even new mechanics. Now, one leaker has shared hints that Fortnite might be getting a Slide mechanic soon.
This isn't the first time evidence of a slide mechanic coming to Fortnite has been shared on the internet. Previously, the same user--reputable leaker and dataminer HYPEX--told fans that Epic Games had added a new Sliding movement type to the game. However, at the time they claimed they didn't know when the Slide mechanic would be fully implemented.
Now, HYPEX has given the Slide mechanic a prospective release date by attaching it to the upcoming Chapter 3 update, which is expected to come soon after Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 8 ends. Alongside the release date, the leaker also posted a screenshot that appears to show a Fortnite player sliding on their knees while firing a weapon and holding a grenade. HYPEX also stated that a new Point of Interest will be added in the Chapter 3 update.
While it may sound unlikely that Epic Games would add an entirely new movement mechanic, this isn't the first time Fortnite has gotten a new mechanic. HYPEX went into some detail about what fans could expect from the Slide mechanic in their previous leak, where they stated that Sliding would reportedly increase players' field of vision by 15 during the movement as well as cause the camera to shake. Additionally, they stated that the Slide mechanic would have a cooldown time of two seconds, but they did not know whether the Slide would be an equippable ability of some kind.
As of writing, it appears that other fans are tentatively interested in the possibility of a Slide mechanic. However, many Twitter users expressed cynicism about the possibility or the reported release date. One user joked that a Slide mechanic would prove that Fortnite wasn't copying Call of Duty, while another stated that they thought the screenshot wasn't actually showing a player Sliding. A few users also expressed interest in the possibility of a new POI in Fortnite, while another got distracted by what might be a new tree model glimpsed in the screenshot.
Fortnite is free-to-play on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One. And Xbox Series X/S.