Epic Games has unveiled the next Fortnite item primed to make an appearance in the premier battle royale title and it’s none other than a grappling hook. On display during Fortnite’s High Stakes reveal event at Pax West, the grappling hook will offer players brand new ways to careen and zip across the map in search of that elusive victory royale.
Known as The Grappler, the item sits somewhere between Spider Man’s web slinging antics and Rico’s physics defying zipline from the Just Cause series. There’s no firm release date as of writing, though its widely expected to go live with this week’s weekly update and High Stakes event.
We do know The Grappler consists of a notably adhesive toilet plunger attached to rugged rope and motorized pulley. Players aim and fire at the desired point, then winch themselves forward at a blistering pace. Accuracy is key here and should prove useful is getting out of sticky situations.
Limited to ten charges, and possibly non-chargeable, the grappling hook has a limited range meaning it will be better suited for relatively close quarters usage. We understand it will allow players to propel themselves upwards, then while in mid air detach and latch onto another point for sustained airborne movement as Spider Man does soaring between buildings. The possibilities opened up by the item for a new category of aerial take downs is sure to cough up some seriously impressive highlights. Grapple up to a high point, then silently drop down to an enemy below for a quick stealthy kill, for example.
You can check out The Grappler in action in a Twitch clip of the unveiling stream here. As you can see – much in the same way as the jet pack – the grappling hook provides seriously increased mobility giving gravity a run for its money in the process.
As for Fortnite‘s High Stakes event, players can take part in the Getaway LTM, receive a pretty dapper white Wild Card outfit, and get involved in the usual selection of theme specific challenges.
