What This Potential Fortnite Leak Could Mean For The Future
Fortnite leaker Lucas7yoshi, who has proven reliable in the past when it comes to changes in the massively popular battle royale, is claiming that Epic Games will soon be adding some form of modding support to the game.
In a series of recent Twitter posts, Lucas7yoshi said, "Modding support will be coming to Fortnite." They added, Confidence for this is [it's] 100% in the works. To what extent you could mod the game or what you could do with it [I'm] not sure. But [it's] definitely by definition 'modding.'" The Twitter user posted screenshots of files uncovered while datamining the game. These screenshots purportedly showed proof that users will be able to make customized alterations to the game. Lucas7yoshi said that it isn't clear how much can be done with these new options, but "it does seem like [it's] something big coming up."
Fortnite currently has a Creative mode that allows players to create their own islands, but hasn't always added enough new content to make it palatable for fans.
If the leak proves true, Fortnite players may be able to alter parts of the game through user-generated plug-ins with randomly-generated names. This may be limited to existing assets or scripting events, or it might let players introduce their own materials and mechanics and share them. In any case, this is definitely a development that could help fans keep the game fresh in the same way that modders have done with titles like GTA 5.
Recent reports have shown that Fortnite is less popular with players than in the past, and Epic's ongoing legal feud with Apple is making it hard for some people to access the game. A new feature like this could revitalize its fan base going forward.
It's hard to know the extent of what's possible without an official confirmation announcement from Epic Games, though. Moreover, there's no information yet on when modding could be available, whether or not this might be a PC-only activity, and how it would be regulated. Introducing modding has to be done carefully, so as not to give certain players advantages over others. For example, if only certain players can access modding, Epic Games might limit modding to certain game modes or make it possible to only change cosmetic things. Only time will tell.
The current season of Fortnite, Chapter 2 Season 4, is slated to end on Dec. 1 with a Nexus War finale event that may bring the arrival of Marvel's Galactus, Devourer of Worlds.