Fortnite's Rocket Racing is a fun mix of Rocket League and Mario Kart
Unreal engines.
Ready for another new Fortnite game mode? After yesterday's big launch of Lego Fortnite, today brings Rocket Racing - and, again, you can play it for free right now.
Developed by Rocket League studio Psyonix, Rocket Racing is an arcade racer with shades of Mario Kart and Burnout, blended with some of Rocket League's mechanics.
You can roar around tracks, slipstream past or slam into rivals to knock them about, aim for boost pads, avoid obstacles, and accumulate boost by drifting. You also have a limited ability to jump - sending your vehicle soaring vertically upwards to higher portions of track or over barriers and through waterfalls to secret shortcuts.
More technical controls see you activate a second, tighter drift option when taking corners as closely as possible, plus the ability to flip your car between segments of track to each side - or directly above - the main road.
It all makes for engrossing and fast-paced driving experience, especially when there's up to 12 players on the track at the same time.
26 tracks are available in Fortnite today, spread across three difficulties. There are ranks to climb, challenges to complete - and XP which feeds into Fortnite's overall battle pass.
Another big part of Rocket Racing is the ability to unlock customisation options for your vehicles, with shared cross-game ownership of car parts with Rocket League and buy more from Fortnite's Item Shop. These, for now, seem to be the mode's only monetisation options.
Rocket Racing is now available in Season Zero, ahead of its first proper season launch due early next year. 2024 will bring new modes - such as Time Trials - and new cosmetic options for cars to unlock. Later next year, the mode will also allow players to construct their own tracks via an editor.
Tomorrow will complete this week's trilogy of new Fortnite game mode launches with Rock Band creator Harmonix's Fortnite Festival, again, launching for free.