The Joy Ride Update: How To Use Cars In Fortnite
The highly-anticipated Joy Ride Update, officially known as Update 13.40, has come to Fortnite, much to the excitement of fans. The update launched around 10am BST, after a short downtime of around a couple of hours.
Cars were teased when Season 3 first dropped, appearing in the introductory trailer for the new season. Now that the map has dried up significantly, Epic Games has decided to release them. Cars add an extra level of gameplay for players and streamers, and their audiences have really enjoyed the fast-paced action cars add to any match.
Pimp My Ride
Currently, there are four cars available to drive: the Islander Prevalent (a four-door sedan), the Victory Motors Whiplash (a sports car), the OG Bear (a pickup truck), and the Titano Mudflap (a six-wheel semi-truck). Taxi cabs are also available to drive, as well, according to Epic Games. Any driveable car will prompt the player to enter upon approaching it. Cars that cannot be driven will be booted in place.
Click to enlargeFuelling the Fun
The caveat to using vehicles in Fortnite is that they must be refuelled at gas pumps located around the island. These gas stations are highlighted on the map. Players have to leave the vehicle to fuel up the vehicle, and a meter will indicate the fuel tank capacity.
Players should keep an eye on this meter even when they are driving, as if a car runs out of gas, it is essentially useless unless refuelled. This is where gas cans come in handy, especially if the next gas station is too far away. They can be used to refuel vehicles and are used the same way that gas pumps are. Players are to walk up to a vehicle holding the can, which will dispense gas to the car.
If a player isn't quick, refuelling can be an opportunity for ambush. Since gas stations are marked locations, other drivers or waiting players could cut your visit short. Luckily, cars can deal a significant amount of damage to other players. Using your car as a battering ram can deal an opposing player up to 100 damage. Additionally, you can shoot other players from your car and even swap seats to get a better angle on the action.
Click to enlargeThe Fast and the Furious
Cars can also take on damage; they aren't simply an impermeable fortress. Packing 500 health, cars can help serve as a temporary line of defence for players that are low on health or need to escape the storm quickly. However, if the car starts smoking, players should be wary. Once the car has been fully damaged, it can explode, dealing up to 800 area of effect damage. This could come in handy near the end of a match if other players start closing in.
Another interesting thing to note about the Joyride Update: the storm closes in a lot more quickly. SypherPK, a popular Fortnite streamer, noticed this as he coasted around the map a few times, answering viewer questions about the new update.
Due to the fact that vehicles are more accessible to players, the storm closes in on the centre of the map at a slightly higher rate of speed. He speculated that this could be a way for Epic Games to streamline matches and make games more exciting for players. Whatever the reason for this decision might be, players should try to find a vehicle as quickly as possible to avoid the storm.
My Way or the Highway
To more quickly avoid the storm, players should stick to paved roads, where cars travel at a much higher rate of speed. Grass and hills slow cars down significantly, but even there, they provide much faster transportation than merely running. Cars can also glide through the water, which is especially useful when players find themselves at the map's centre. However, if a player stops coasting through the waves or even gets out of the vehicle while it is submerged, the car will sink to the bottom.
From there, it is possible to retrieve the car, but players will take damage every time they try to enter the vehicle. The vehicle will only move a few feet before kicking the player out and dealing them damage. If the car is close enough to the shore, it is possible to retrieve it using this method. It is uncertain if this is a bug or an intended side-effect of leaving a car in the water, but only time will tell if Epic Games will patch this odd feature.
Click to enlargeThat aside, cars move fastest on paved roadways and water, respectively. By drifting down the pavement and trying not to do doughnuts down the rolling hills of Misty Meadows, players can ensure that they will escape the storm and potentially other competitors. Players should keep in mind that there are not too many roads in Fortnite, so they should keep their weapons handy in case another vehicle comes into sight.
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That’s My Jam
Fortnite cars are not just made for quick getaways and hit-and-runs, however. There are four radio stations that players can jam out to as they drive: Party Royale, Radio Yonder, Beat Box, and Power Play. These stations feature both original Fortnite music and licensed songs as well. Players can jam out to "Toosie Slide" by Drake and "Lucid Dreams" by Juice as they cruise around the map, looking for loot.
In anticipation of this new feature, Epic Games also added a streamer-friendly mode that disables or enables licensed music. This ensures that content creators and streamers alike can showcase cars without worrying about copyright claims or demonetisation.
Whether a player is using cars to get an offensive edge over other players, escape the storm in style, or just coasting, the much-anticipated Joy Ride update has brought a new layer of gameplay to the world of Fortnite. Later updates and bug fixes might be coming up, so players should keep their eyes on the road and stay tuned for more cars and features.
Images via Epic Games
