Fortnite has drawn heavily from other battle royales ever since it moved away from its survival roots to embrace the genre, even incurring a lawsuit from the PUBG Corp (abruptly dropped in 2018), which alleged that Epic Games had copied its structure of 100 players dropping onto an island and fighting to the death as the circle closed in.
It didn’t end there, either, as many argue that the Reboot Van mechanic was pulled from Apex Legends, and while Fortnite is often attributed with the creation of the battle pass, that was also taken from another game – Dota 2.
It should be said there’s nothing wrong with building on other games’ ideas: it’s how genres grow and take shape.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that Epic Games is now looking to Call of Duty: Warzone for ways to freshen up the battle royale experience after nearly a decade, as reputable leakers @ShiinaBR and @l3stei report that Fortnite will be getting its own Gulag system.
What Is The Gulag?
In Warzone, when you die, you’re sent to a prison complex to fight another player to the death in a small 1v1 match-up, while others look on from the balcony, throwing stones. The victor is crowned with a free revive, dropping back onto Verdansk to reunite with their squad.
Fortnite will be a little more family-friendly than the Gulag with its “Restarter Island”, pitting players against each other in minigames like Rock, Paper, Scissors and Shockwaves for a chance to respawn.
In Warzone, the Gulag closes after a set amount of time, and you only get sent there once.
Some have argued that Reboot Vans already offer a way to revive fallen teammates, and that this is an unnecessary addition, but the Gulag has always been a lifeline for solo players who would otherwise be sent careening back to the main menu after an embarrassing start.
And if you’re concerned about balancing in squad games, Warzone allows you to purchase revives from stores dotted around the map, much like Reboot Vans, so it stands to reason that Fortnite will find a way to balance the two mechanics, as well.
There’s no word on when we can expect the feature just yet, but several leakers, including @Hypex, claim that it will be “soon”. In the meantime, Epic Games has taken a sledgehammer to the mode, and by mode, I mean Battle Bus, completely changing the way that we drop onto the island.
- Released
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September 26, 2017
- ESRB
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T for Teen – Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
