Fortnite v4.5 Update: Playground Mode, Dual Pistols, And More

Fortnite's latest weekly patch has arrived, albeit a day later than usual. This update is a fair bit larger than what we're used to seeing, which could explain the slight delay in Epic getting it out the door. Among other things, this update – which brings Fortnite to version 4.5 – adds the highly-anticipated Playground mode, which was revealed last month.

If you're a Fortnite regular, you probably already know what Playground mode is all about. If you don't, here's what you need to know: Playground mode is essentially a sandbox mode that you can use to explore the map, scrimmage with friends and teammates, or practice your building skills. You'll be dropped into a private instance of Fortnite's island, and you can bring up to three friends along with you.

Friendly fire is turned on, though players respawn instantly when they die. Resource gathering rates have been increased to 10 times the normal amount, allowing you to gather up a ton of materials and work on perfecting your building skills. You'll have plenty of time too, as the first circle won't start moving in until 55 minutes into the "match," and even then, it takes another five minutes to complete its journey.

The long delay for the first circle also means that you can explore the map without worrying about staying ahead of the storm. Playground mode spawns all chests and ammo boxes normally, so you can use it as an opportunity to become familiar with each area's loot spawns. In short, Playground mode sounds perfect for anyone who needs to brush up on their Fortnite skills, and it's nice to see that the player base now has a tool it can use to get better at the game.

On top of Playground mode, Fortnite version 4.5 also adds a new weapon: dual pistols. While pistols generally aren't seen as high-priority weapons in Fortnite, you might actually want to take dual pistols with you if you encounter them in the wild. They drop in epic and legendary variants, do 41-43 base damage depending on the rarity, fire at the same time, and use medium ammo.

There are also a number of tweaks coming along with this patch. Epic has added 3D map markers to the in-game world, which you can see in the image above. It's also nerfed the amount of damage shotguns of all varieties do to structures, while at the same time changing tactical and silent SMGs rather significantly. Finally, grenade launchers will temporarily shoot fireworks in celebration of summer, though this is only a cosmetic change. Head over to the official Fortnite site to read all of the patch notes, and be sure to jump down to the comments section to tell us what you think of these new additions.