The first update for Epic’s standalone survival crafting game, Lego Fortnite, was released on Tuesday to fix existing issues and make several quality of life improvements.
We’ve been following Lego Fortnite since its launch last month, which attracted 2.4 million simultaneous players. The game appears to be a Lego-fied version of Minecraft, blending various popular gameplay styles from cozy titles like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Valheim.
Just over a month after its launch, Lego Fortnite was starting to feel repetitive for players who immersed themselves in the game in December. However, the game’s first major update doesn’t introduce a large amount of new content, but it does address numerous small issues and quality of life concerns that early players were encountering.
Firstly, Lego Fortnite has made it easier to navigate the map with the addition of launch pads, a familiar item for long-time Fortnite players. The launch pads should eliminate the need for enormous, unsightly staircases and make traversing the game’s large procedurally generated maps more manageable without appropriate vehicles.
Players focused on building will also benefit from improvements, including the automatic clearing of nearby flora when constructing and better fitting builds onto slopes, as completely flat ground is relatively uncommon. Additionally, new floor, wall, and roof options have been added, including smaller pieces intended to facilitate more intricate construction.
Epic has also introduced more Lego-styled skins into the game, such as Ahsoka Tano and Spider-Man, along with three new villagers – Bushranger, Rustler, and Tomatohead. Villagers are now able to open doors, a significant enhancement given their tendency to get stuck beyond castle gates, unable to return to their tasks.
The comprehensive list of fixes is quite extensive, making it worthwhile for eager players to review. Several major bugs, including players spawning under a building, have been addressed. Moreover, stability, performance, and in-game physics have been enhanced, benefiting dedicated players who may have encountered frustrations with these aspects.
However, despite the numerous improvements, the update does not address some fundamental criticisms from the game’s early player base. Server capacity remains limited to 15 villagers, discouraging large-scale multiplayer builds, and new biomes have not been introduced, resulting in a shortage of entirely new content. Nonetheless, prioritizing the refinement of core features before expanding into new areas is understandable. It’s uncertain whether the fixes will resolve the “high complexity area” errors, which many players have experienced, even on modest builds, but it is hoped that they will. The game has been remarkably enjoyable so far, offering a refreshing alternative to the intense battle royale experience and evoking the charm of Animal Crossing New Horizons at its finest.
Interestingly, Epic’s ambitious plans for the title are closely tied to its cozy vibes, as it strives to offer alternative experiences within the Fortnite ecosystem. The game joins Fortnite’s traditional battle royale modes, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival as standalone games available in the Fortnite environment.
Fortnite’s virtual storefront now offers a range of free playable experiences, including those developed by Epic, such as Lego Fortnite, as well as user-created content using Epic’s game development toolkit. By appealing to a broader audience beyond battle royale enthusiasts, Epic aims to expand Fortnite’s appeal. Lego Fortnite, as Fortnite’s most compelling alternative offering, is likely to gain further momentum with ongoing updates.
