Battle royale games are highly competitive but Fortnite’s new Epic Solo Showdown limited time mode takes it up a notch. In a nutshell, it is still your solo game mode at its core with a major difference: you’re competing with millions of other players around the world. It’s much, much more serious and the moment you land on your glider, you need to be at your best. Although there are no penalties to winning, the rewards are huge.

Competition rewards and rules

To enter the competition, you need to play at least 50 Solo Showdown matches. The LTM will be available from May 17, up until the 21st, so you need to make time to sit on your couch and start playing. It is a worldwide contest, and you need to be 16 or older and used a Fortnite account that existed before May 15.

By May 21, the top 100 players will be ranked and depending on their placement, they will receive a certain amount of V-Bucks. The player who gets first place wins 50,000 V-Bucks, while the 2nd-4th placers will win 25,000. Fifth to 50th placers will receive 13,500 while those who lucked out at 51st-100th will have 7,500 V-Bucks added to their coffers. The rankings are determined through a point system wherein the higher you place, the more points you’ll receive. The full list can be seen here. Remember, each match counts: only the first 50 games will be counted towards each contestant’s score. You need to have your game face on the moment you step into the battle bus. Should you camp or be aggressive? You’ll need to make the right decisions in all of the 50 games you play.

However, it is unclear whether each platform will have its own top 100. Will PlayStation 4 players get their own rankings different from the XBox and PC players? We’d like to hope, but it’s safe to be pessimistic. Epic is emphasizes cross-platform gaming and considering that you can link your account in all platforms, it is likely there will only be a single magic 100 covering all platforms. In any case, the prizes will be handed out on May 25th and those who managed to win need to respond within three days to claim their winnings.

The LTM’s implications and future of competitive play

Patch v4.2 and the new Burst Assault Rifle

Epic Games released a weekly patch and the spotlight is centered on the epic and legendary version of the burst assault rifle, which the community has been clamoring for months. Each bullet deals 32/33 damage (legendary/epic variant respectively) and can be found almost everywhere, from the floor, chests, vending machines, and supply drops. Personally, I tried it out several times and yes, it’s my new favorite. It is extremely accurate, and you can easily manage to hit headshots with all three bullets, thus killing off one enemy player in full shields.

Other additions of note are apples, which are found in certain trees scattered throughout the map. Picking them up and eating them grants you five health. They come in handy especially if you need extra health after hitting the bandages limit or if you suffered a small amount of fall damage. Speaking of which, there were adjustments made in fall damage calculation. In a nutshell, it has been reduced substantially, but that does not mean you can jump from the clocktower in Tilted Towers and expect to survive. Finally, the suppressed submachine gun was given a buff with all three variants’ (common, uncommon, and rare) damage increased by three. Accuracy reset speed was also reduced, letting you hit your shots easier amidst firing continuously.

Overall, Fortnite Battle Royale smacked us with a few surprises this week, and we should all be excited with whatever comes next. If you haven’t played the game yet, be you’re missing out on a lot. If you are though, good luck and do your best on the Solo Showdown!