"Fortnite" now has a 5v5 "Counter Strike" mode

This year's Winter Party has begun in Fortnite. This includes festive skins and various challenges related to Christmas and winter. The biggest surprise, however, is the new free "Ballistic" mode, which has been live since 11 December. This mode changes the way "Fortnite" is played and is reminiscent of "Counter Strike" - but in colour. The Winter Party update is the first major update for Season 1 in Chapter 6, which began on 1 December.

"Ballistic", like the popular "Battle Royale" mode, is a special game mode, a so-called island, within "Fortnite". Islands have their own rules, so the gameplay on the different islands can vary greatly. For example, you have no building tools in "Ballistic". The first-person view is also unusual instead of the usual third-person view.

How does "Ballistic" work?

In "Ballistic", the participants are divided into attackers and defenders. Both teams consist of five players. The aim of the attackers is to detonate a so-called rupture point device - in "Counter Strike" it is a bomb - in the right place. The defenders must prevent this from happening.

If the rupture point device explodes, the attackers win. If they can prevent the device from being placed or defuse it within 45 seconds, the defenders win the point. Anyone who dies must watch for the rest of the round. Once a team has shot all of its opponents out of the game, it also wins. A match consists of several rounds. The winner of the match is the team that wins seven rounds first.

Although you keep your outfits, paint jobs and emotes in "Ballistic", you cannot use the rest of your equipment, such as vehicles and jam songs. All players start with a Ranger pistol and 800 credits. You can earn more credits in the game and spend them on new equipment at the start of a round. This remains with you for the entire match - unless you die when the crack point device explodes.

"Ballistic" is still Early Access, but free to play

"Ballistic" is currently still in Early Access status. Epic Games states that it will continue to develop the mode based on player feedback. There is currently only one map, a basic arsenal of weapons - such as assault rifles, shotguns, MPs and sniper rifles - as well as a limited number of other items.

In addition to smoke and stun grenades, you can also obtain special gadgets, such as proximity mines or shield bubbles, which you can use to create a temporary, impenetrable shield. Major updates will bring new maps, weapons and features in the future.

"Fortnite" is basically free to play as a free-to-play title, but some game modes and various in-game items cost real money. You can use the popular Battle Royale mode and the new Ballistic mode without paying.

If you want to try out "Ballistic", you need the base game "Fortnite" and search for the "Ballistic" island there.