Fortnite is getting a 'driftboard' vehicle, plane getting nerfed

Update: Epic announced this afternoon that the planned release of the Driftboard in the 7.10 update had been pushed back "to make some final quality of life changes and other polish improvements." Shortly after that, it revealed on Twitter that the full 7.10 update has been postponed. There's no word yet on when it will roll out but we'll let you know when we find out.

Due to last minute issues discovered within the build, we’ve had to delay the timing for the release of the v7.10 update.We’ll provide more details on an exact time once we have more information.December 17, 2018

Original story:

Fortnite is getting a new vehicle called the Driftboard that, assuming all goes as planned, will be added to the game in the upcoming 7.10 update. As reported by Fortnite Insider, the in-game feed says, "Hop on board and boost past your competition with this new single player vehicle!"

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It's basically a snowboard, minus any proper bindings for your feet, which doesn't seem like a great idea from a safety standpoint but does lend it a certain high-tech, Back to the Future visual style. It's also presumably a one-person-only ride—I don't see a lot of room for passengers on there, although it would be cool if you could a buddy up on your shoulders and ride the slopes double-decker style. (And by "cool" I mean one of those things that's obviously a bad idea but funny when it's done by/happens to someone else.) More information, because that and the image is all we've got right now, will be revealed when the 7.10 update goes live.

The 7.10 update will also make further changes to the newly-added X-4 Stormwing plane. James is a big fan of the aerial action but Epic is going to hit the plane with a pretty hefty nerf—not by changing the fighter itself, but what it does to pilots if and when it goes down. Currently, players suffer 25 damage when their plane is taken down, but community coordinator Sean Hamilton said on Twitter that it will be doubled in the 7.10 update to 50, which as Fortnite Intel points out should encourage pilots to be a little more cautious when they're playing the buzzboy.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.