Fortnite adopts Reboot Van respawning system after Apex Legends

As with Apex Legends, Fortnite players' movement is limited when they use a Reboot Van. — AFP Relaxnews

Anticipated since a late February update, an extra lives system allows Fortnite teammates to bring one another back into a round after being eliminated, a battle royale innovation previously introduced by new rival Apex Legends.

Fortnite is introducing Reboot Vans in this week's 8.30 update across mobile, console, and computer.

The feature had been expected since late February, when mysterious vans were found around the slowly-changing Fortnite map just prior to the start of March's Season 8.

As in Apex Legends 2019's new heavy-hitter in the battle royale genre, players can retrieve a token – here, a Reboot Card – from their fallen teammates and, by returning it to a respawning location – one of the Reboot Vans – they can begin the process of recalling an eliminated player.

However, in Fortnite initiating a Reboot also projects a beam of light into the sky and sets off a loud car alarm, alerting other players to the vulnerable party's whereabouts.

Unlike Apex Legends, Reboot Vans can be used more than once per round, though an ever-shrinking play area and a reset timer encourage players to stay on the move.

Common to both, revived players lack accumulated weapons or gear, temporarily heightening their dependance upon the generosity of squadmates.

Apex Legends, a polished last-person-standing title for console and computer, launched in early February as a free spin-off from the established Titanfall franchise.

Aided by publicity efforts that amassed a cohort of live streamers and content creators to play the game for their online audiences, Titanfall grew rapidly, generating 50 million unique players within its first month and putting it on course to catch Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (aka PUBG).

One of its genre innovations was a respawning system more commonly seen in conventional first-person multiplayer action games, making squadmates responsible for each other and further encouraging its players to value social cohesion, however long or short lived. – AFP Relaxnews