Fortnite unveils respawn system almost identical to Apex Legends' Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Fortnite unveils respawn system almost identical to Apex Legends' Dead tyred. News by Emma Kent Contributor Updated on 6 Apr 2019 31 comments Epic has finally unveiled Fortnite's new respawn system - possibly the game's worst-kept secret ever - in a dev update video. The vans were first spotted last month when players discovered a bug which displayed the model in-game. With such an obvious appearance, players quickly guessed they were supposed to be used for respawning, but nobody knew quite how it would work. Until now. The vehicles themselves are called reboot vans, and players will need to grab reboot cards from their fallen comrades in order to resurrect their squad. Players then bring these to a van and wait for their teammates to be beamed down from the sky. Star Trek has certainly gone in a new direction. For some battle royale fans, this may sound awfully familiar. The reason for this is the fundamental elements of the respawn system (ignoring surface differences such as vans instead of beacons) are essentially the same as the one in Apex Legends. In both games, players must pick up a tag, run to a set point, and must wait to respawn their teammates while a noisy visual cue appears to alert surrounding players of the respawn. One of the only major differences between the two is Fortnite's vans become temporarily unusable after a respawn, although it's unclear as to whether this applies to all players or just the newly-respawned squad. Another potential difference not detailed in the video is whether players will have limited time to collect the reboot cards - a mechanic used to add urgency to rescuing squadmates in Apex Legends. Fortnite also recently introduced a squad communication system, which some suggested was similar to Apex Legends' much-praised ping system. The main difference here is Fortnite's system is much more basic. The ability to respawn teammates was one of the key selling points for Apex Legends, and helped separate the battle royale from other titles. Perhaps Epic knew it could get some flak for suspiciously introducing these mechanics post-Apex Legends, as in February Epic explained in a Reddit AMA it was considering both squad communications and respawns. Epic suggested it had been considering the respawn mechanic "for a while", although the end result still seems pretty similar to Apex Legends'. The vans are due to (officially) make an appearance in update v8.30, which should arrive sometime next week. 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 News 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 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 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