To keep players invested and coming back, Epic Games keeps adding new modes to Fortnite, with the latest being the already-popular Creative Mode.
Released December 6 for Battle Pass owners, Creative Mode is now available for all players. Unlike Playground mode that allowed players to practice on their own island, this new mode lets a person build and design an island for themselves or share with others. Those whose creations catch the eye of Epic could also see what they made make it into a battle royale match.
Here’s what you need to know in order to start building.
How to Get Started
To access Creative Mode look for the option below Save the World and Battle Royale matches.
Once selected, you can start a lobby and a server with friends or just jump into your own game. After the loading screen, you’ll see a hub that will have multiple rifts; one rift is to your own island, while the other rifts will lead to your friends and featured servers chosen by Epic Games.
There are several “save” slots available so you can store different islands instead of reusing one over and over again. Four slots are for the default island that looks like a smaller version of the battle royale map. There are two slots for The Block where players can create their own area that may be picked by Epic Games. Currently, there are also four Arctic Island slots that allow players to create their own structures on a giant ice island.
How to Share Your Island
Unlike Playground Mode, Creative Mode is less about practice and more about creating. In a way, it’s similar to Minecraft and Super Mario Maker as players can share their island with others. Up to 16 players can visit an island to partake in whatever the owner of the island created.
Also, Epic Games announced during the Game Awards that there is a universal stage for user-created content called The Block. Players can find the space on the northeast side of the island where Risky Reels used to be. Not only is it marked on the map, but there are also billboards identifying the area and the name of the player who created the space. Since this space will change regularly, The Block could offer some tactical help during a match such as having vehicles and weapons.
What Can You Build?
There are a lot of possibilities when given your own island. To start building, players need to equip a remote phone that’s in their inventory. Once equipped, the commands to copy, cut, and delete will be available, but in order to use those commands, you’ll need something to copy, cut, and delete.
Opening up the inventory screen will show what’s available to you. Items can be equipped and placed on the island or they can be added to a chest or llama for players to open.
The first tab in the inventory screen is the prefab buildings and assets. The first rows will include structures that have a theme to them, such as Bounce Challenge and Ice Bounce. These are more like obstacle courses instead of traditional buildings.
Further down is where you’ll see some of the buildings found in a match, such as houses, stores, and factories. Below that are multiple galleries. These will include various assets such as cars, walls, streets, and more.
Next to the prefab tab is devices. This is where items like shopping carts, launchers, timers, and player spawn points will be found. Weapons are in the next tab and every weapon from common to Legendary is available.
The last tab for items is consumables. This is where explosives, medkits, materials, and potions will be located. Then there is a tab for chests, where the items selected for a chest will be shown, and you’ll be able to place them in a chest or llama.
Time to Build
With the phone equipped, you can start placing whatever wherever.
When you choose a prefab, you can make multiple copies or select one of the assets with the phone. If you want a certain car or tree, you can choose that one item and copy it. The rules for building are similar to building forts in that there needs to be a foundation on the ground to start and everything you place will need to be connected to another structure.
Even though you can copy whatever you like, there is a limit. At the bottom of the screen, there will be a meter showing the island’s memory usage. The limit is 100,000 and a prefab building can take approximately 15,000-17,000 “units” of memory, so keep that in mind while making your island.
Once your island is built, you can assign a game type to it, such as deathmatch or race. If you decide not to, then your creation will be available for you and others to enjoy without any rules.
To help you see everything from every angle, and presumably not create poorly-built islands, Epic gave creators the ability to fly. Just double jump and you’ll be able to get a bird’s eye view of your island.
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So far, Fortnite players have created Call of Duty maps and race tracks in Creative Mode. Expect more creativity in the coming weeks when more Fortnite players spend time with the new mode.
