With two words, Fortnite Season 9 ends a glorious era of aviation Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. With two words, Fortnite Season 9 ends a glorious era of aviation Down to earth. Feature by Christian Donlan Features Editor Updated on 9 May 2019 40 comments Season 9 will be great, I am sure. The new Tilted looks like it's taken inspiration from Sunset Overdrive, which is always money in the bank, and it's just nice to see shiny buildings rising out of the volcano-ravaged earth. But with two words, the patch notes for the new season have broken my heart and ended a glorious era of aviation - or rather a glorious era of aviation stupidity. "Vaulted balloons." Man, wasn't it great to go for a float in Fortnite? I loved those packs of balloons that lofted you into the air, but only for a while, because a balloon would always pop at high altitude and so you had to inflate another, and then another, and eventually you knew you would run out. I loved balloons because they gave you the sky, but not for very long. I loved them because you could pick and choose your targets from aloft, while in turn being the ultimate target for everyone down below. I loved them because in a game of speedy movement, balloons put you on a different timescale to everyone else. No more jagged jumps and dashes and turns. Instead, just slow, moon-base hops. I loved that tug of gravity as you fired up a balloon and then jumped, the air around you suddenly changed, the planet's hold diminished. More than anything, though, I loved them because of a very dangerous sport I discovered that I christened, rather unimaginatively, balloon-boarding. In balloon-boarding, you hopped on one of those hoverboard things, fired up a bunch of balloons and then took to the sky. You moved, in balloon-boarding, by jetting forward in stiff bursts from the hoverboard. But unlike on the ground, in the sky it was terribly hard to stop, so you would be a sort of aerial rook from chess, making these zany back and forth movements, spinning about, never quite being in control but always looking as if you were moving with great deliberation. All balloon-boarding excursions ended the same way, of course: with death in the storm, far from safety, unable to arrest a tragic momentum in the wrong direction. And then how long would it be until the Fortnite RNG gods smiled upon you and gave you balloons in the same game as They gave you a hoverboard? For now, those gods have decided to put the balloons away properly. Or rather, I like to think, They have moved them just out of reach. Watch on YouTube Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More Features Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. 14 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Feature What games get wrong about horses And what they could do about it. 34 Feature Shout out to all the Overwatch supports - where would we be without you? Merci. 55 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store