Fortnite’s latest update lets you go ham in a hamster ball

By Steven Petite March 12, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Have you ever watched a hamster roll around in a ball and become ridiculously jealous? Of course you have. Human hamster balls do, in fact, exist but they are typically quite pricey. Luckily, you can fulfill your hamster ball-rolling dreams with the latest Fortnite update, free of charge. Fortnite version 8.10 adds the Baller, a hamster ball equipped with high powered boost capabilities and a grapple.

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The Baller’s grapple and boosts will help you “perform unbelievable feats.” These feats are probably more impressive than anything a regular old hamster could do, to be honest. Plus, your avatar won’t have to stand in the ball, as it’s fitted with a slick chair. The Baller is designed to make you look and feel like a baller, naturally, not to get a workout.

The Baller can be found at outposts and in pirate camp loot areas. With the help of the boost and grapple, you can vault up mountains and make progress through areas that would normally take some thought to maneuver.

We’re not sure how practical the Baller is if you want to stay alive. It’s pretty easy to spot someone zipping across the map in a giant hamster ball. It does come with some protection, though. The ball can take 300 damage before it’s destroyed.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Along with the Baller, the latest patch changes up the way vending machines work. You no longer have to spend materials to get new gear from the machines. However, the vending machine malfunctions and breaks after one use, so it’s a trade-off.

The latest update also brings back one of the cooler limited time game modes: The Getaway. The heist-style mode tasks players with recovering a jewel and making it to the getaway van to win. Meanwhile, Fortnite’s Creative mode has two new islands: Sandbar Island and Volcano Island.

As always, the patch makes a myriad of improvements across all facets of the battle royale experience. The marker system, which was added shortly after Apex Legends launched, has been improved. Vehicles and consumables can now be marked, and general readability and usability of the marking system should be better. The full patch notes can be read here.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…

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