Fortnite Update Adds No-Combat "Party Royale" Mode, So Drop Those Guns

If all the violence and strife on Fortnite's battle royale island has got you feeling anxious, the game has a new mode to soothe your woes. First discovered by prolific Fortnite dataminer Lucas7yoshi following the release of the game's new update, Epic Games later officially launched Party Royale, where players will be free to explore the island and engage in non-combat activities, such as skydiving.

"Welcome to Party Royale, a new experimental and evolving space. All chill, no sweat. Leave your weapons and mats behind and hang out with friends, play games, perfect your skydive, and more. The party's just getting started," Epic Games said in an in-game announcement.

The mode takes place on a smaller island than the traditional battle royale mode, and there are custom activities to complete. These include a checkpoint-style race, and you're thrown into a small squad when the mode launches. It doesn't appear the full 100-player limit it used for the mode.

In other Fortnite news, the game's 12.50 update is now live. Though it does not include any patch notes--as usual--it appears that the update has drastically changed the amount of aim assist given to controller players, a shift that popular streamers have been clamoring for. We'll have more word on the changes as this story develops. Recently, Fortnite hosted a concert event with Travis Scott that boasted a record-breaking number of players over its five performances. There's also a weekly challenge where players must collect five golden pipe wrenches.