Fortnite v30.20 patch notes: how Fortnite Reload works

Everything you need to know about Fortnite Reload, the new game mode added in update v30.20

Fortnite Reload / Epic Games

Epic Games surprisingly moved the v30.20 patch forward by a few days and suddenly announced that it would be bringing a brand new game mode to Fortnite Battle Royale. This is designed to be a faster-paced version of the regular battle royale featuring a smaller map, fewer players, and some interesting mechanics that speed up the game.

We’ll explain everything you need to know about Fortnite Reload in the v30.20 update.

Table of Contents

1. New Map – Fortnite Reload
2. 40 Players – Fortnite Reload
3. Squads Only – Fortnite Reload
4. Automatic Respawns – Fortnite Reload
5. Unvaulted Weapons – Fortnite Reload
6. Unique quests and rewards – Fortnite Reload

New Map – Fortnite Reload

Reload Map / Epic Games

The Reload island is a bit of a mini-OG experience, as it’s full of classic locations on a much smaller scale than normal. Tilted Towers and Retail Row are both waiting for you to drop into, and now there’s much less distance to cover between the two of them. On top of that, the storm will move much faster on this map, forcing you to be constantly on the move.

40 Players – Fortnite Reload

Fortnite / Epic Games

To accommodate the smaller map, the number of players in one game is much less than normal. Where the regular battle royale can host up to 100 players in a game, Fortnite Reload caps out at 40.

Squads Only – Fortnite Reload

Fortnite / Epic Games

This mode is Squads Only, which means you can only play in teams of 4, so the action is going to be frantic with so many squads converging on such a small island.

Automatic Respawns – Fortnite Reload

Tilted Towers / Epic Games

When you die, you can wait for a teammate to respawn you, or you can start a 30-second timer, after which you will automatically respawn. Over the course of the match, this will increase to 40 seconds. However, you can also decrease it in a few ways:

• -2 seconds for downing an opponent
• -4 seconds for eliminating an opponent
• -10 seconds for wiping a squad

However, right at the end of a match, this stops completely to ensure matches don’t go on forever.

Unvaulted Weapons – Fortnite Reload

Unvaulted Weapons / Epic Games

A huge array of classic weapons have been unvaulted and will only appear in Fortnite Reload. This includes:

• Revolver
• Tactical Shotgun
• Lever Action Shotgun
• OG Heavy Shotgun
• Tactical SMG
• Infantry Rifle
• Heavy Assault Rifle
• Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
• Rocket Launcher
• Grappler

Unique quests and rewards – Fortnite Reload

Reload quest rewards / Epic Games

A series of intro quests are also live right now. Each one earns you 20k XP, which is nothing to sniff at. Plus completing enough of them earns you cosmetic rewards like the Digital Dogfight contrail, Pool Cubes wrap, and the NaNa Bath back bling. Plus, this mode has it’s own unique glider umbrella if you manage to score a Victory Royale.