The new Fortnite vehicle is a dang hamster ball

In a Reddit AMA held late last month, some folks from Fortnite developer Epic Games teased a new "single-occupancy vehicle" for the game's Battle Royale mode. It turns out that vehicle is a giant hamster ball, as YouTuber @OMGitsAliA recently discovered and Epic worldwide creative director Donald Mustard confirmed.  

According to a preview image dug up by Twitter user @lucas7yoshi_, the new vehicle is appropriately called a Fortnite Baller. Judging from the hardware on the thing, it looks like you can drive The Baller around like a normal vehicle or use the Grabber - a grappling hook-like device which was wieldable before it was vaulted several months back - on the front of it to swing around. At least, I hope that's what it's for. But I have to wonder, can you also use it to pull other vehicles or people toward you for easy splatter kills? My kingdom for a limited-time mode with dozens of these things just swinging each other around. Overwatch's Wrecking Ball - better known as Hammond the hamster - would be proud.

Epic previously said that, depending on how Fortnite's Driftboards play with the Baller, they may be removed to make room for the hamster-mobile. They're both solo vehicles so I wouldn't be surprised to see Driftboards pushed out of the main mode, but god I hope we can get both of these things in a game at once, if only so people can balance a Driftboard atop a Baller and inevitably land a miracle headshot while doing so. 

Here's everything you need to know about Fortnite Season 8.