Fortnite Ballistic Is Counter-Strike for Normies, and That’s a Good Thing

I have been a Counter-Strike player for a long time. With over 1,400 hours in CSGO/CS2 and countless more in older versions, I’ve seen many imitators take their shot at the game’s formula. Most of them fail to grasp the genius of Counter-Strike’s map design and its meticulous economy system, but some have managed to be inspired by it and build unique mechanics around them.

Valorant is a great competitor, adding hero shooter elements to the tactical shooter, and it was only a matter of time before Fortnite would take a shot at the same. The question is whether Fortnite can successfully tempt existing Counter-Strike players or at least attract a younger audience like Valve did two decades ago.

Fortnite Ballistic is a new first-person 5v5 game mode that takes the same principles of Counter-Strike while retaining Fortnite’s wackier elements. Two opposing teams must play through twelve rounds trying to either plant a bomb or defuse it at one of two planting sites on a three-lane map. Launched in early access this week, Ballistic is an early taste of how Epic Games is taking core elements from CS/Valorant without losing its identity.

Like CS, Ballistic starts by giving you a basic pistol and a set amount of credits to buy weapons and equipment. You can’t buy weapons for others, or request them from other players like in Valorant. The starting set includes two-to-three weapons from simple but popular categories like ARs, shotguns, sniper rifles, SMGs, and basic grenades.

Players also need to choose from a set of five unique throwables called “flex gadgets” at the start of the match, which will be locked to that specific player. The flex gadget, to some extent, determines what kind of role that player brings to the table. However, these don’t come free as you’ll have to buy the flex gadget in the rounds you want to use them.

All matches take place on “Skyline 10”, a classic three-lane map whose design will be instantly familiar to any CS player. Just a couple of matches in, I was able to grasp the common routes enemies would take, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect from CSGO noobs. As a starting point, Skyline 10 is a well-rounded map that understands the core fundamentals of tactical multiplayer shooters. Well-thought-out cover placement, vantage points, peeking corners, they’re all here and they work well for a starter map.

The key aspect of any match in Counter-Strike or Valorant is the strategic tactic a team deploys before an engagement. Lining up grenades, faking a run at a site, and managing its economy all rely on clear communication between team members. Even when players can’t use a mic, they can use the text chat but I haven’t seen any players use either of those in Ballistic. It’s not just my region, it’s the same story for my friends and colleagues playing in different regions across the world.

The lack of direct communication could’ve been offset by a robust pinging system and preset commands, but the former is lacking and the latter is absent here at launch. However, playing enough CS imbues you with a basic game sense, and I’ve seen similar tactics being used by most players. Even in Fortnite, “Rush B” overrules any strategic thinking, and I enjoy that.

In Counter-Strike, your character doesn’t get better, it’s you who improves their skill. That’s what popular CS content creators like WarOwl say, and Epic is taking cues from that ideology here. The skill ceiling relies solely on game sense, not gimmicks like parkour moves or crafting. Ballistic feels more grounded than regular Fortnite BR, though it sometimes feels too basic. You can’t equip a smaller weapon to run faster or exploit the physics system to line up impossible smokes.

The mode’s economy also doles out cash for minor actions like a hacked slot machine in a casino. You never have to think about “saving” for a round because chances are that you’ll always have enough money to buy a decent weapon and equipment. Weapon balancing also needs work, so you can’t use the CS tactic of overpowering an AR user with the increased bullet bursts from an SMG at close range.

Perhaps the largest difference between CS/Valorant and Ballistic is the absence of, or perhaps significantly neutered, weapon recoil. Mastering a weapon’s recoil pattern is a rite of passage for many CS players, but you don’t get that option in Ballistic, bringing the skill ceiling down for all players regardless of prior experience.

These are all complaints from a guy who likes to sink his teeth into a tactical shooter. But what about the normies? The kid who likes to dress as Thanos to eliminate Master Chief on a battlefield, followed by a dazzling display of dance moves as sparks fly around them through an emote? For those people, Ballistic may be their first step into the world of competitive tactical shooters, and I always welcome more players into a genre I like. Even I jumped into matches to see over-the-top team combinations, like the one that included Geralt of Rivia, Eminem, Naruto, and Deadpool rushing B, and it was glorious.

Ballistic is just one of the big new additions in Fortnite v33.10, including a GTA Online-like roleplay experience called LEGO Fortnite Brick Life. You can also check out the unique skins in Fortnite’s C6S1 battle pass to decide who to dress up as in Ballistic.

Fortnite is available on PC, mobile, and consoles.