Fortnite adds Battlefield 2042-style Tornadoes in January 11 hotfix: Patch notes

Liam Mackay
Tornado in Fortnite Chapter 3

Fortnite has added Battlefield 2042-esque dynamic weather Tornadoes and Lightning in a January 11 hotfix, so here are the full patch notes.

Battlefield 2042 sought to change the game by including dynamic weather effects such as Tornadoes and Sandstorms, and now Fortnite Chapter 3 has taken a leaf out of DICE’s book.

As of the January 11 hotfix, players can find Tornadoes and Lightning all over the Chapter 3 Island, as well as see the return of the Flare Gun.

Here are the full patch notes for Fortnite’s January 11 hotfix.

Fortnite adds Tornadoes & Lightning

Fortnite Chapter 3’s trailer showed off some incredible weather effects, and they’ve finally arrived in the January 11 hotfix. Now, the storms can form in the Chapter 3 Island bringing both Tornadoes and Lightning.

While Tornadoes are often lethal in Battlefield 2042, they’re actually your friend in Fortnite. They’ll lift you into the air if you get near enough, and then “You’ll spin round and round ‘til you choose to glide to safety — or if you stay spinning long enough — ‘til the twister spits you out.”

And the Lightning isn’t to be feared either. While it deals a small amount of damage and sets the surrounding area on fire, Lightning will give you a temporary speed boost. You can get struck by lightning by jumping into the water below the cloud or reaching the highest land point below it.

And don’t worry about getting struck over and over again, “Lighting doesn’t strike twice back-to-back.”

Fortnite Flare Gun returns

Fortnite Flare Gun

The Flare Gun has also been unvaulted in the January 11 hotfix, where you can find it in Chests, on the ground, and from Supply Drops.

This fiery weapon deals 60 damage with an area of effect and will set alight anything it touches. You can now use them alongside Firefly Jars to burn down enemy structures.

Fortnite Tornado Week

Lightning in Fortnite Chapter 3

Fortnite will include a Tornado Week to celebrate the weather effect’s arrival, with Tornadoes being far more common from January 11 until January 17 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM GMT.

Fortnite Competitive patch notes

  • Tornadoes and lightning are not included in competitive playlists.
  • Flare Guns are currently not in competitive playlists but are subject to an evaluation period.
    • During this Season, items like the Flare Gun and Shield Keg could potentially be introduced to competitive playlists after a one-to-two week evaluation period. In this Season in particular, we’re evaluating the viability of more mid-Season items introduced to competitive playlists than in recent previous Seasons.

For more Fortnite, you can check out everything we know about the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crossover.

Image Credit: Epic Games

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About The Author

Liam is CharlieIntel's Editor. After graduating in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, Liam made use of his passion for FPS games, including Call of Duty, by writing for sites such as The Nerd Stash, Red Bull Gaming, and GAMINGbible before joining CharlieIntel in November 2020. You can contact Liam at [email protected].