Fortnite 17.30 update patch notes: Grab-itron, Ariana Grande, Abduction event

Matt Porter
Spaceship in Fortnite Season 7

Fortnite’s 17.30 update arrives on August 3, finally introducing the new Grab-itron item, Ariana Grande’s ICON Series skin, and the POI Abduction event that will kick off the end of Season 7.

After a quiet period for the game, updates have been dropping thick and fast since Epic’s summer break, with the 17.30 patch releasing just seven days after Fortnite’s last one.

While 17.20 was relatively small, August 3’s 17.30 patch is set to really shake things up on the island, with the long-rumored Grab-itron finally arriving after weeks of speculation. On top of that, Ariana Grande is set to arrive as the Rift Tour kicks off, while the alien spaceship is likely to start abducting POIs following this patch.

The August 3 17.30 patch is available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Here are the full patch notes and everything you need to know about this update.

Fortnite mothership

Grab-Itron finally arrives

Eagled-eyed players first spotted the Grab-itron in the Season 7 Battle Pass trailer, but week after week has passed with no sign of the gun in game. Finally, this scientific marvel debuts in Fortnite in the 17.30 patch.

The Grab-itron is essentially a gravity gun, letting players lift objects and throw them at other things, or more importantly, enemies. Played can also use their reload button to rotate objects, which could make the Grab-itron useful for building cover.

The weapon doesn’t actually deal any damage to enemies itself, but with some clever thinking, the Grab-itron can definitely send your opponents back to the Battle Bus.

Rick using the Grab-itron in Fortnite

Fortnite Mothership Abduction event

If you’ve played Fortnite at all during Season 7, you’ll have noticed the giant spaceship that is floating menacingly above the island. Things are about to get a little crazy, with a new in-game event known as the ‘Abduction event’ set to kick off.

While we don’t have all the details just yet, leaks have confirmed that some sort of abductions will be taking place at a number of POIs, with Slurpy Swamp the first to be affected.

Ariana Grande Rift Tour

Fortnite’s Rift Tour is just a few days away, with special challenges and a concert from music superstar Ariana Grande for players to enjoy.

On top of that, Fortnite fans will be able to get their hands on a special Ariana Grande in-game skin, with the ‘no tears left to cry’ singer rocking her signature ponytail and an outfit made out of Zero Point crystals.

Ariana Grande skin in Fortnite

Fortnite 17.30 bug fixes

As always, Epic Games have been working on a number of bugs and glitches that have been frustrating players over the past few weeks.

With the 17.30 patch, the developers are fixing issues with weapon wraps, vehicles driving erratically, and some latency issues in Creative Mode. You can check out the full list below.

General Issues:

  • Some Wraps do not display properly on the Show Your Style Set
  • Radio not playing in vehicles
  • Unable to perform Last Forever Emote

Battle Royale Issues:

  • Vehicles driving erratically, caused by player in control being in Prop state
  • Cosmic Chest timers may remain on screen if a Bounty is poached

Creative Issues

  • Latency issues on XL Islands.
  • Players do not bounce if they land in the center of Crash Pads
  • Grass with Epic settings
  • Vehicle explosion not properly triggered with “Destroyed with Transmit” on.
  • ATKs bounce and jitter unexpectedly when starting to drive.
  • Vehicle memory too high.

Image Credits: Epic Games