Epic Games’ battle royale Fortnite went down for maintenance early this morning, and when it returns, it will bring with it the latest update.
Update v17.30 is the latest in a series of updates that makes small tweaks over the course of a season. So far, several alien technologies have been added to the game. These have been referred to as IO technology and have included the Plasma Cannon and Inflate-A-Bull.
The latest Fortnite update appears to include a new IO technology, the Grab-Itron, uncovered by dataminers a while ago. This item will allow players to grab objects from the environment and hurl them around to destroy structures and deal damage to opponents. This behaved similarly to the UFO tractor beam and was alluded to in a tweet from the Fortnite Twitter account before the downtime.
Hot Saucers’ own Mari here to give you the latest invasion comms!
A “UFO in your hands”? The latest Alien gear has IO Guards scrambling to nail down every wall, car, rock, and even shrub. #HotSaucersLeaks
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 2, 2021
Also included in the update is the groundwork for the upcoming Rift Tour, a musical experience coming to Fortnite over three days at the end of this week. Ariana Grande will be performing live in-game with fans able to join a playlist and partake in the virtual festival.
Each of the five shows will occur in specific regions, with the August 7 event being the only global event. However, none of the events will be region-locked, so you could attend all of them if you wish.
To celebrate, fans will purchase Ariana Grande outfits and backpack bling as part of the icon series of cosmetics. There are also in-game quests available that will allow you to unlock loading screens, sprays, and emoticons. Anyone who attends one of the events will also receive a commemorative umbrella called the Cuddly Cloudcruiser to replace their in-game paraglider.
EA recently announced that a Battlefield 2042 short film is going to be released soon with locations being revealed during the build-up.
The post ‘Fortnite’ update v17.30 is available today and includes a new gravity gun appeared first on NME.
