Fortnite Leak Teases Major Shake-Up to Original Game Mechanics

A prominent Fortnite leaker has revealed that Epic Games may be preparing to introduce a major change to the way players glide into the map—a shift that could drastically affect the early phase of Battle Royale matches. In Fortnite’s current setup, players begin at the Spawn Island before boarding the Battle Bus. Once airborne, they can choose when to jump and control their descent by free falling for a while before automatically deploying their glider as they near the ground.

Landing strategy is particularly crucial in competitive modes, where getting to a prime loot spot a few seconds earlier can make all the difference. Even in casual games, mistiming a glide—especially when aiming near tall buildings or cliffs—can lead to an early disadvantage, as Fortnite’s system forces the glider to auto-deploy higher up depending on the terrain below.

According to well-known leaker Wensoing, Epic is currently developing a new glider system that could give players full control over when to open and close their glider mid-air. If implemented, this would allow for more precise landings by enabling longer free falls and potentially faster descents. With manual deployment, players wouldn’t need to awkwardly angle their drop to delay automatic glider opening—they could simply control the entire fall themselves.

Image Courtesy: Xbox.com

What This Could Mean for Gameplay

This rumoured feature would let players activate their glider at any point during their descent from the Battle Bus, offering a level of flexibility never seen before in Fortnite’s drop mechanics. However, it comes with a catch. According to Wensoing, players might risk taking fall damage if they misjudge their timing. This suggests Epic could be adding a risk-reward element to the mechanic—possibly using fall speed and distance as factors to determine whether damage occurs.

The Fortnite community has already begun speculating on how this might play out. One question that surfaced quickly was whether landing in water would still negate fall damage, as it currently does when jumping from high ledges. If so, players could start experimenting with water-based landings to avoid the new risks tied to deeper free falls.

If the mechanic does go live, it could redefine early match strategy, giving players greater control over where and how they land—and possibly reshaping the meta in both casual and competitive play.

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---Silviya.Y