Fortnite released its 16.11 update patch. While this week's update most likely made only a handful of minor tweaks which can't be confirmed due to a lack of patch notes, players will find a major new item that could be a potential game changer: The Recycler.
Epic Games' popular free-to-play battle royale is well into its fourth week of Season 6. Dubbed "Primal," the new season has seen many changes to Fortnite's meta, including the addition of fauna (of varying threat levels), a primal weapon crafting system, map alterations, and other changes that remain somewhat divisive among fans.
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Formally introduced via Fortnite's YouTube channel, The Recycler is a two-handed heavy weapon that looks a lot like a heavily modified leaf blower. Intended for "tense situations" in late-stage matches when players are low on ammo, The Recycler has the ability to suck up practically any material and, as the name suggests, recycle it into ammunition. The recycled material will turn into explosive rounds called "junk bombs." The type of material won't impact the lethality of Recycler shots, so players can vacuum up just about anything they see. However, players may want to take a methodical approach to using the weapon, as it can only hold a total of three shots.
Despite its unique properties, The Recycler isn't an exotic or mythic weapon, meaning Fortnite players can get their hands on it from just about anywhere. The new gun comes in Rare (blue), Epic (purple) and Legendary (orange) classes, with shots doing 75, 79, and 83 damage respectively. The weapon does seem similar to the seasonal Egg Launcher, although The Recycler's shots appear to have a much straighter trajectory than those lobbed eggs.
Fortnite has been all gas, no brakes with regards to rolling out new content as of late. In addition to the recent crossover Llama-Rama event with Rocket League, the battle royale has its Spring Breakout event. The seasonal event brought back the Egg Launcher alongside Easter-themed cosmetics, in-game rewards, and more. Spring Breakout added the new character Webster, a hellish reanimated animatronic. This week, Fortnite is also reintroducing its "Reboot a Friend" program. By playing a certain number of matches with someone who hasn't played Fortnite for 30 days or more, both can progressively unlock items like a new Lobby Track, Emoticon, Pickaxe, and Weapon Wrap.
The addition of The Recycler should provide quite the interesting change-up to the game's meta and players' strategies, especially toward the end of a round. While some fans have embraced this season's radical changes, others may not be so keen. Fortunately, Epic Games' other popular free-to-play title Rocket League launches its Season 3 today, adding some new content of its own.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.