Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Fortnite brings back building, raises $144M for Ukraine

Add as a preferred source on Google

Epic returned Fortnite‘s main playlist back to the game. Players can once again explode into a two-story mansion after being sniped once from across the map in the world’s most popular battle royale. However, those that flocked to the game for the new Zero Build mode don’t have to be discouraged. The new style of play that disables building mechanics is now a separate playlist and is here to stay.

Fortnite Zero Build Official Gameplay Trailer - No Build Battle Royale

Building playlists returned to Fortnite on April 2. These classic modes were supposed to be back in players’ options much earlier on March 29, but Epic encountered a bug that hid them in the selection and discovery sections of the game. The bug was fixed shortly after, so now builders can rejoice.

Recommended Videos

There are more differences between Zero Builds and build modes than what the names suggest. To further balance a mode with a lack of builds, Epic added overshields to the buildless variant. That was likely to give players a chance to recognize danger or find where shots are coming from without dying too quickly.

The new Zero Build update also adds new mechanics to the game half a decade after its launch. Anyone playing the battle royale can now sprint, which comes complete with its own stamina bar, and mantle, which entails being able to hardcore parkour climb over ledges including those of their own and other player builds.

Our deepest thanks to everyone who joined us in supporting humanitarian relief efforts for people affected by the war in Ukraine.

Together with the Fortnite community and @Xbox, we raised $144 million USD for @DirectRelief @UNICEF, @WFP, @Refugees and @WCKitchen. pic.twitter.com/lPAa8lmfJn

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 4, 2022

Despite its age, Fortnite continues to be as popular as ever, especially with the continuous pour of new content. Epic Games and Xbox just finished a fundraiser in the game, which benefits people affected by the war in Ukraine by putting profits made in the in-game store towards the cause. The fundraiser raised $144 million in total.

DeAngelo Epps
Former Digital Trends Contributor
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
Sony’s wild PSN login patent could turn the DualSense into a security gatekeeper
A newly published filing outlines controller-based sign-ins for PlayStation users, aiming to make stolen accounts harder to exploit.
Geoff Keighley holding DualSense.

Sony has filed a PSN login patent, first spotted by RespawnFirst, that would pull the DualSense controller into the sign-in process. A PlayStation console would start the request, then the controller would help confirm that the account holder is close enough to approve access.

For players, the appeal is easy to see. PSN account abuse can lead to unauthorized purchases, lost access, and attempts to resell established accounts. Sony already offers 2-step verification and passkeys, but this idea adds a hardware check to the login chain.

Read more
This study found a surprising mental health perk hiding in your game library
Researchers surveyed 2,252 adults and found that specific game genres, not gaming in general, line up with lower loneliness and stronger emotional resilience.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild official artwork

A new study has found that adults who play certain video games report feeling less lonely and more emotionally resilient than people who don't play games at all. The findings challenge the idea that gaming is just a way to escape from real life and instead tie specific kinds of games to real, measurable shifts in how people cope with stress and isolation.

What the study found

Read more
GTA 6 may be far away, so Rockstar gave GTA 5 a fresh coat of paint
Grand Theft Auto 5

With Grand Theft Auto 6 now just months away, Rockstar Games is giving longtime Grand Theft Auto 5 players a reason to revisit Los Santos. The company has announced that owners of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of GTA 5 will receive a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game.

The move comes as Rockstar ramps up excitement for GTA 6, which is currently scheduled to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Previously, upgrading from the older console versions to the current-generation release required a separate purchase, typically costing around $10. Beginning Thursday, however, eligible players will be able to move to the newer version at no additional cost.

Read more