Fortnite update reveals 2 reasons the map will be a lot more dynamic this season

The most important part Fortnite Battle Royale isn't the player skins, or the loot, or the player-built structures - it's the map, and it looks like that part will be a lot more dynamic in Fortnite Season 4 than it has been in the past. Fortnite update 4.1, the first big set of changes since the game switched over to the latest season, gave us a look at two things Epic is doing to keep the map feeling fresh as players once again find their bearings. Besides letting you jump all over it as Thanos, I mean.

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The map is steadily changing across patches

Take a closer look at Dusty Divot the next time you drop, and you'll see the impromptu research site / military base / black site facility at the bottom of the crater has been built up in this latest patch. The central building surrounding the main chunk of the meteor is now fully enclosed, with a ceiling on top and modular hatches leading out to research areas on the periphery. Players have noticed some alterations to the movie set in Moisty Mires as well. The map changed some back in Fortnite Season 3, most notably with the addition of Lucky Landing, but this is the first time we've seen this kind of steady evolution of the terrain. Assuming Epic keeps adding more every update, it should be fun to see what all these changes eventually add up to.

The circle will close in on the coasts more

Speaking of Lucky Landing, it's a bummer that the final circle almost never closes in there, right? The same goes for Flush Factory, Haunted Hills, and all the other perfectly good real estate lying closer to the edges of Fortnite Battle Royale's map. Update 4.1 should make those places good for more than early-match looting: Epic says the patch ups the odds of "the final circle ending near the outer areas of the map by 25 percent." Those dramatic final showdowns on the beach or cliffs should be less rare now, and the end-game should be more varied overall.

Epic's done a lot of smart stuff to capitalize on the living, constantly updated nature of Fortnite, and this might be its coolest idea yet. I can't wait to see what the game looks like a few months from now.

Looking for some more fun stuff to find? Check out our guide to Fortnite Easter eggs and secrets.