The Fortnite 6.21 update patch notes (Fortnite 1.89 update patch notes PS4) have now been shared by Epic Games, following the unplanned 24-hour delay. While last week’s patch brought in a huge number of changes and improvements, including the Fortnitemares mode, the new Fortnite patch 6.21 is a little less impressive. The main highlight here is the balloon item. The Fortnite 6.21 patch does unfortunately demand a period of downtime, during which players will be unable to matchmake with others. Once the downtime has finished, players will need to have downloaded and installed the latest update in order to play as normal.
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – Balloons
Balloons have been added to the Battle Royale experience via the Fortnite 6.21 update. These balloons come in the Epic variety, with each set including 20 to use. These allow the player to “defy gravity by holding up to six balloons at a time.” The primary fire button is used to inflate a balloon, while the secondary fire will let a balloon go. Players will want to switch between inflating more balloons and letting go of them to be able to change heights over a distance.
If you’re looking to hunt down the new Fortnite item, you’ll need to search floor loot, chests, supply drops, supply llamas, and vending machines. Yeah, these balloons can pop up literally anywhere, so keep your eyes open! Their Epic rarity will mean they are a little more tricky to find, but keep looking and you’ll eventually find them.
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – Grappler Changes and Explosive Damage
The Grappler has become a fan-favorite tool for many players, allowing users to quickly zoom towards a target. It comes in especially useful when scaling tall structures, bringing balance to the whole “build high to win” strategy.
A couple of Grappler changes have been included in the Fortnite 6.21 update (1.89 on PS4). These are as follows:
Grappler
- When grappling as a vehicle passenger, the velocity of your vehicle is factored into the grapple force.
- Only occurs in instances where vehicle velocity will be a net gain to grapple force.
- Grappling as a vehicle passenger will now cause the vehicle to travel in a straight line to its destination rather than traveling in an arc.
One of the more significant changes in this patch is to do with explosive damage. 25% of explosive damage will now penetrate through structures and the environment. This will make rockets, grenades, and all other “BOOM!” weapons more deadly. This will likely annoy those who are used to taking a bit of damage, quickly building a 1×1 bit of cover, before then proceeding to heal. Now a grenade tossed next to the cover will deal damage through it, potentially killing weak players. Obviously we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out in-game, but it’s potentially meta-shifting in a way that the community might not like.
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – Vaulted Weapons
It’s time to say goodbye to a few more Fortnite weapons, as they are added to the vault. This time around, the semi-auto sniper, guided missile launcher, and dual pistols have been ripped from the battle royale experience. (Dual pistols will still be available in Playground, however!)
As is always the case, these vaulted weapons can make their return at a later date. Epic Games is a big fan of switching weapons out to keep things fresh. Weapons added to the vault are also considered for additional balancing tweaks. Those dual pistols might never be the same!
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – More Glider Re-Deploy Changes
It’s been a week since Epic Games decided to make the glider re-deploy changes to all modes. According to the developer, it has been “collecting internal data and monitoring constructive feedback from all of you.” Epic understands that not all players agree with these changes, but the glider re-deploy function will still be included across all modes for the time being.
The Fortnite 6.21 update makes some changes to the glider re-deploy. The glider audio is now prioritized over weapon audio within certain ranges, meaning players should be able to clearly hear when a glider is approaching them. This should lessen the number of times when gliding players get the drop on an unsuspecting enemy. Additional changes to the glider re-deploy system are planned for the future, but it isn’t yet clear what those are.
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – Cube Live Event
The Fortnite Cube live event is planned for November 4, at 1 PM ET/6 PM GMT, which is also when the Fortnitemares event will come to an end. Like previous live events, players will only get one shot to see what happens. You’ll want to ensure that you’re in-game and ready to witness whatever goes down. We’d recommend loading into Playground, as it gives you an hour of uninterrupted time to witness the event in peace.
Fortnite 6.21 Update Patch Notes (Fortnite 1.89 PS4) – Save the World Changes
Save the World players are also being treated to some improvements in the Fortnite 6.21 (1.89) update. All rarities of Perk-UP and RE-Perk materials are now distributed starting in mid-Plankerton and beyond, which applies to mission rewards and miniboss mission alerts.
Perk Caches have been implemented, which are a new type of cache that can drop both RE-Perk and Perk-UP. These will begin to appear in mid-Plankerton, so keep an eye out during play! They can drop from minibosses and treasure chests.
The Volcanic and Vortex modifiers can now appear on minibosses, so put them to good use. As a reminder, the Vortex modifier allows the enemy to use a bolt of energy to pull heroes towards it, while the Volcanic modifier causes the ground to rupture under a player, exploding for huge damage.
Additionality, the Mutant Storm mission table has been adjusted to ensure that only one of the three modifiers can possibly appear in a mission. So you’ll only see one of the following: Acid Pools, Smoke Screens, and Slowing Pools.
For the full list of patch notes, including the more minor bug fixes and changes (but still very much appreciated!), head over here.
