Key Highlights
- Fortnite extends storm circle timings by 20 seconds.
- Change made in response to Chapter 5 movement reductions.
- Gives players more leeway to rotate into safe zones.
- Follows backlash from fans finding new speeds too punishing.
- Players continue uncovering Chapter 5 map secrets.
- One user finds a secret location home to 8 chests.
The ever-evolving world of Fortnite continues adjusting core mechanics in response to shifting gameplay priorities and community feedback. Most recently, developer Epic Games expanded the closing speed of deadly incoming storm circles by 20 seconds. This change directly targets widespread complaints regarding slowed movement speeds introduced alongside Chapter 5.
Even the single word ‘Movement’ was trending on social media as soon as the new season premiered. Thousands of disgruntled players complained about the sluggishness of their characters in Ch5S1.
Epic explained the mild movement reductions as promoting more methodical play and strategic positioning compared to purely reactive builds and edits. But many players argued the combination of sluggish navigation and quickly enclosing storms overly restricted engagement opportunities.
Extending circle countdowns by 20 seconds alleviates some of this punishment, giving competitors extra breathing room to traverse from zone to zone. It offers a compromise between Epic’s vision for thoughtful pace of play and community desires for action-packed battles.
Of course the movement controversy persists even following this storm-based olive branch. A vocal portion of dedicated Fortnite fans demand fully reverting to legacy running and crouching speeds. But for now, slightly delayed circle pressure checks the most egregious instances of unfair player culling across the map.
Ongoing Efforts to Balance and Innovate
Epic faces perpetual challenges curating accessibility for casual audiences while keeping hardcore devotees invested across endless content updates. But the developers have proven responsive to grievances, unafraid to test changes and then tweak or rollback based on empirical data and sentiment.
Fortnite’s recently concluded Season OG chapter stands as a testament to this agility, as Epic committed fully to recreating nostalgic legacy vibes following requests. And the result became Fortnite’s most popular season in years, proving out community creative guidance.
Chapter 5 therefore represents designers doubling down on more radical changes like overhauled movement and reactive weapon crafting to spur fresh engagement. And leveraging isolated tuning like storm circle delays displays commitment to polish and quality of life even amidst sweeping reinvention efforts.
Exploring Mysterious New Frontiers
Beyond balancing acts lies Chapter 5’s most alluring draw: the expansive new island domain itself. Early impressions indicate possibly Fortnite’s most richly detailed and secrets-filled battlefield yet against iconic construction chaos.
A clever Fortnite player stumbled upon a concealed cave teeming with valuable loot. Following the recent update which unveiled a fresh map, gamers are still uncovering intriguing details.
In a video shared by a user named Leo9991 on Reddit, the discovery of a hidden cave system unfolds along the eastern edge of the map beneath a snow-covered mountain.
The video showcases the exact location on the map where the cave is situated east of the island. Take a look at the screenshot below that shows you exactly where it is.
Within this covert area, the player discovers an abundance of loot, encountering an impressive eight chests in a short span. To navigate deeper into the cave system, the player then uses their harvesting tool on a chest that’s in the way.
Once that clears the way, there’s even more chests to open and then when they get to the end, there’s a big block of stone in the way, hitting this gains you 102 stone if you’re playing build mode.
This then allows you to get in the final cave where there’s loads of mushrooms on the floor and slurp barrels to get up to full shield.
One really cool addition is that of the Viking ship from Chapter 1 Season 1, with a small replica resting in the middle of the cave in a pool of water.
Comments on the Reddit post indicate fellow Fortnite players’ admiration for this clandestine locale, with one user expressed respect, noting that the map is fantastic and gives the impression that a considerable amount of care went into crafting the details.
So even through disagreements around competitive integrity or mechanical philosophy, Fortnite retains its uncanny penchant for sustaining enthusiasm and bonds between players, designers and the virtual lands they mutually inhabit.
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In a gaming landscape littered with predatory monetisation and stagnant franchises, Fortnite’s reliability as an evolving sandbox both artistically and systemically continues turning regret at leaving matches into excitement awaiting what comes next. Let us know in the comments box if you’re gonna give this new cave location a visit next time you jump out the battle bus.
About The Author
Stephen is the proud owner of a popular gaming news website GLN, where he provides the latest updates on everything gaming-related. With a passion for video games that dates back to his childhood, Stephen is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with fellow gamers around the world.