Epic Games free-to-play battle royale title, Fortnite, has received its first new update in 2023 and it is a nice one to kick off the new year. This time around players won’t be receiving any bug fixes or changes made to the game, but rather some new items that will change up your gameplay a bit if you choose to use it.

The biggest announcement from the update is the brand new Guardian Shield. Yes, players will be receiving a new gameplay mechanic in the form of a guardian shield. Similar to Rineheart’s shield in Overwatch, players will get this massive shield that surrounds both themselves and other teammates. This will result in some new tactics when playing in squads. Do you run up on another group with your guardian shield and let your squad create some damage to the enemies? Or do you play it safe and bust it out in a tight situation to save yourself from an ambush? Both option are great and it’ll be interesting to see how players implement it going forward.

Secondly, Epic Games have dropped some new style items for their customization. Epic has released a new batch of midseason drops that will change up the alt styles for certain characters. Starting off with week one, players will be able to unlock a new fresh look for Selene. The speficic challenges will be in the in-game tab on the home screen or detailed within the battle pass menu. The following weeks will feature new styles for other characters such as Massai, Doom Slayer, Dusty, and Nezumi.

The update is a nice way to kick off the year for Fortnite players and it is available now across all platforms. Learn more about the guardian shield from Epic Games themselves down below:

With swords flying and hammers slamming, a little extra cover goes a long way.

Findable from Oathbound Chests, the Guardian Shield deploys a protective barrier in front of you which blocks incoming damage. This shield can be raised as mobile cover while you and the squad are on the move, or thrown to the ground for stationary, sustained protection. The barrier won’t last forever, so keep your eyes on the shield’s changing color to indicate when it’s about to run out!

While it may not be a new feature, a ton of Fortnite players have an issue with finding how to play the game in splitscreen mode. This mode was introduced way back in chapter 2, which allows to players to join a match with one console. This is perfect for those who are staying over at a friends, or just want to casually play with a buddy in the same room. There always seems to be some sort of changes made to the menu thanks to the constant updates and playlists being added in and out. But we have put together a nice guide for you to follow if you wanted to play splitscren but couldn’t figure out how to do it. Make sure to read the full splitscreen Fortnite guide right here!

Fortnite is now availabe to download across all platofrms for free. How have you been enjoying Fortnites latest season? Let us now in the comments below!