Re-deployable gliders have already been removed from most Fortnite game modes

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"We did not live up to expectations of quickly iterating on the mechanic," says Epic

A few weeks ago, Epic took the re-deployable gliders introduced in Fortnite's Soaring '50s mode and added them to all normal solo, duo, and squad modes. At the time, the studio described the update as a test to see "how providing a singular mobility mechanic that all players can use will affect regular gameplay." That test is over, and as our sister site PC Gamer reports, the results weren't too hot: Epic is disabling glider redeployment in all default modes as part of today's update (v6.30). 

"We did not live up to expectations of quickly iterating on the mechanic and communicating plans," Epic said in a short blog post yesterday. "It will remain in the larger team modes (e.g. Soaring 50s, Disco Domination etc.) and Playground to allow ongoing experimentation with this feature. We really appreciate all of the engaged discussion and encourage you to keep the feedback coming!" 

The decision to add re-deployable gliders wasn't popular among many Fortnite players, with some top-level players lamenting the update's impact on build-offs. After all, if falling never kills you, there's no real drawback to building tall structures, nor is there much incentive to shoot the floor out from under people. That being said, with gliders now back to normal, folks have come to a sudden and somewhat unpleasant realization: there sure is a daggum lot of walking in Fortnite. 

After sampling the speedy traversal that readily available gliders provided, some have found that going back to hoofing it everywhere is a real pain. This makes me think Epic will continue to tinker with mobility mechanics in the hopes of reducing downtime in normal game modes, but whether gliders will ever be a viable long-term solution is still up in the air. 

With gliders gone, here's where you can find some Fortnite Quadcrashers to help you get around the map.  

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.