December 9, 2024
Fortnite Launches “Ballistic” – A Tactical 5v5 FPS Aiming to Rival Valorant and Counter-Strike
Voice chat has been in Fortnite since the beginning, allowing players to communicate with each other and call out strategies or warn teammates of incoming enemies. The new Fortnite update will expand this communication by adding Text Chat to all Fortnite Islands.
Just like the voice chat, there will be options for players to use it. Players can enter the Party Channel and chat with their party members. This chat is only available while the player is still in that party. A second way of interacting is the Game Channel, where players can interact with everybody on the same island. This is a public conversation and everybody can see the messages of every player, regardless of their position on the island. A third and final way of using Text Chat is Direct Messages, where a player can send a one-on-one message to another player on their friends list.
With the updated Text Chat, also comes an improved version of the chat filters and reporting options. Fortnite is introducing a new “Personal Information” chat filter that will remove sensitive information - like email addresses and credit card information - from the chat. They’ve also added improvements to the mature language filter, which will always be on for players under 13, that will better filter out various kinds of mature language and toxicity. This will protect younger players of the game from being exposed to this type of language.
If players still notice inappropriate language in the chat, they will have the option to report this to Fortnite. Your Text Chat will be reviewed by Fortnite and they will take action against players who have violated the rules.
Social interactions in games have always been important. Players without a microphone often miss out on an important part of the game. Text Chat can fill in the gaps to ensure all players can communicate with their fellow gamers. This can improve the overall gameplay experience for players and allow them to play maps that require this social interaction to fully enjoy. Creators can now also build more social maps that are meant to hang out with friends.
Socialising with peers is a big aspect of other sandbox games like Roblox. Trends suggest that a lot of Roblox players eventually transition into Fortnite as they grow older. Mechanics such as Text Chat can make this transition as smooth as possible, perhaps even making them transition sooner.
This update has a lot of potential! Lots of use cases for creators and players alike. Let’s see how it will be used and evolved!
