Skip to main content

Combat-free Fortnite mode leaks, turns shooter into a Party Royale

Leaks indicate that Epic Games is adding an island to Fortnite that’ll allow players to hang out and play non-violent minigames together in a new Party Royale mode.

Party Royale is a limited-time event according to Fortnite leaker ShiinaBR on Twitter, who found a description after going through data added in the latest update. All the activities will take place on a new island called Papaya. Map icons indicate that the unannounced mode will feature skydiving, glider challenges, and races that take place both on foot and in vehicles. There’s even a soccer ball shown, which teases some sort of minigame based on “the beautiful game.”

Recommended Videos

Leaked "Papaya" Map!

(via @VastBlastt & @FNBRHQ) pic.twitter.com/DmKxeK0XUj

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) April 29, 2020

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“Welcome to the Party!” the leaked description reads. “Leave your weapons and mats behind and hang out with friends, play games, perfect your skydive, and more. The party’s just getting started!”

Also found on the Papaya map is a central plaza filled with phone boxes that allow players to swap skins during play sessions. The Devourer skeleton from Fortnite‘s original map is also seen on the shoreline.

There will also be nine communication emotes specifically made for Papaya. These include waving your hand, sitting down, shaking your head no, an affirmative nod, clapping, cheering, calling players over, pointing at objects, and waving your phone.

Beyond the Party Royale mode, files point toward another limited-time event called Operation Payload being added. Similar to Overwatch, this round-based mode tasks two teams with either escorting or attempting to stop a payload. Roles will switch each round, and it’s said that players will also pick different tech abilities.

As with Party Royale, it’s unknown when or if Epic will add Operation Payload to Fortnite. Epic recently teased “a couple more surprises” when it extended the second season of chapter 2 from April 30 to June 4.

The possible addition of a non-violent mode isn’t completely unexpected as Fortnite has been experimenting with activities inside the popular shooter since last year. This includes the recent Travis Scott concert, which saw 27 million players check out over its five showings and helped the game set a record for the most concurrent players. If added soon, it will also give kids and adults a way to hang out safely with their friends while adhering to social distancing.

Tyler Treese
Former Digital Trends Contributor
When not playing or writing about games, Tyler Treese serves as the Senior Editor at Wrestlezone. An experienced writer that…
Epic Games just gave Fortnite veterans the best gift: permanent OG mode
Fortnite OG Key Art

If you're a long-time Fortnite player who can't stop asking where Tilted Towers disappeared to, this update is for you. Epic is bringing back Fortnite OG -- this time, for good. The game mode will cycle through the game's first season and let players revisit their favorite locations and loot just as they remember it from way back in 2017.

And when Epic Games says it's going back, it means all the way back. The mode will initially go through the seasons of Chapter 1, including all the loot changes and feature introductions. Think of it something like a crash course in the evolution of Fortnite; you can experience it just as players did back then and learn as you go. As a veteran of those early battle royale years, I can promise it was a vastly different experience than it is now.

Read more
Fortnite Crew subscriptions will soon contain every battle pass
Fortnite characters surrounded by V-Bucks.

Fortnite is making some big changes to how battle passes work in a couple of weeks. Epic Games already announced that it would be streamlining battle pass progression, but it's implementing a similar change to its subscription service Fortnite Crew.

In a Wednesday blog post, Epic Games revealed that all battle passes will be available in Fortnite Crew. So not only will all your progression apply to the Music Pass and Lego Pass as well as the Battle Royale Pass but all of those will be included for the same $12 per month fee starting on December 1.

Read more
Fortnite OG is bringing back the shooter’s original map for good
Four Fortnite characters standing side by side in the original Fortnite OG season.

Fortnite OG, a limited-time mode that brought back the original island from all the way back in Season 1, is coming back to the game -- for good this time.

Epic Games announced in a post on X that Fortnite OG is "combing BACK and is here to stay" starting December 6. That means players can experience the original map and loot starting with Chapter 1, Season 1 from all the way back in 2017, when Fortnite was less of the pop culture metaverse juggernaut it is today.

Read more