Big changes are coming to Fortnite, and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the upcoming Battle Royale Season 6. Epic Games made waves at PAX West with the reveal of an entirely new game mode, High Stakes, which looks to be a totally different Fortnite experience… and an experience that’s sure to please fans of games like Payday 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5.
High Stakes, the new limited-time game mode that appeared at PAX West, centers around a jewel heist. That’s right, heisters, it’s time to mask up.
The mode is similar to squads, with each team comprised of four players. Teams will parachute into the map with the goal of locating one of several safes containing the mysterious and valuable Crystal Llama. Your gang will have to crack the safe and run the Llama back to your getaway van, all while fending off rival heist crews and trying to stay alive. If the footage revealed at PAX West is any indication, it’s going to be an action-packed experience:
Coming next week: The Getaway LTM! #Fortnite pic.twitter.com/oHQ0DGcowH
— Fortnite News 🏙 (@FortniteBR) September 3, 2018
A new game mode isn’t the only part of the High Stakes event. Every criminal knows a proper heist must be executed with style, and to that end new skins and cosmetic items have been added to the game.
The first new skin is known as The Ace, and is unlockable as part of the new Ace Pack, which replaces the old Wingman Starter Pack. The Ace appears to be a female criminal, wearing a slick red and white suit beneath a black kevlar vest. Topping it all off is a black and white ballistic mask to conceal her true identity. In addition to the skin and a handful of V-Bucks, the pack also contains a new back bling item, the Swag Bag. It is, as the name implies, a duffel bag bursting at the seams with stolen cash. The Ace Pack is purchasable right now for the equivalent of $5.
The second new skin being added to the game is The Wild Card. It’s a sleek new skin and a take on the classic bank heister, and fans of movies like “Heat” or games like GTA V or Payday 2 are sure to recognize the aesthetic.
The Wild Card wears an impeccably tailored white three-piece suit with black leather gloves and a black tie. Topping off the look is a ballistic face mask. The mask is customizable, with each mask themed after a different suit of playing cards: Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds.
New masks can be unlocked by completing a new set of themed challenges that will be introduced as part of the event. The Wild Card also comes with a new briefcase back bling and a themed glider that contains mountains of gold and cash. Details haven’t been revealed yet as to whether the Wild Card will be unlockable or purchased content.
Capping off the event, as mentioned before, is a new set of themed challenges that are part of the new game mode. Challenges encompass goals such as doing damage to players carrying the Llama, stealing the Llama a certain number of times, and other similar activities. Completing these challenges will allow players to unlock High Stakes themed cosmetic items.
High Stakes is slated for launch on September 6, so polish off your masks, get your suit dry cleaned, and load up your assault rifles. It’s heisting time.
