Fortnite fans saw the long-anticipated Master Chief leak for the game proven true during The Game Awards. Master Chief wasn't the first video game icon to come to Fortnite, but he is the first to also come with his own map.
Halo fans were in for another surprise when the iconic Blood Gulch was announced as a new stage in Fortnite. The map is already available as part of Fortnite's Creative mode, allowing Fortnite players to recreate some of Halo's iconic game modes. With Halo: Infinite still a year away, here's what players should expect from Epic Games' take on Blood Gulch.
Fortnite's Blood Gulch Is a Creative Map
Blood Gulch is exclusively available in Fortnite's Creative Mode. Much like the classic Halo forge, players are able to create a huge range of game modes from scratch using an expansive amount of tools. Capture the Flag, golf, deathmatch and even puzzle-platformers have all been recreated in Fortnite's Creative Mode. With Blood Gulch now available, fans could create a multiplayer deathmatch game mode that's a near-perfect replica of Halo's iconic multiplayer.
This does mean that fans shouldn't expect Fortnite's standard battle-royale gameplay to happen on Blood Gulch, at least by default. It's a fairly small map for Fortnite standards, after all, so it's probably for the best that Epic Games has decided to use the map for creative expression.
It's also important to note that Creative Mode isn't exclusive to Battle Pass players. Anyone can get to work rebuilding the Halo experience in Fortnite.
It's an Accurate Reimaging
Blood Gulch has seen a few different versions over the years. Epic Games' take on the map appears to be the closest to the original version in Halo: Combat Evolved. The map appears to be a near-perfect replica, though with the obvious Fortnite art style. Both bases are intact, with a wide stretch of canyon grass between them.
There's certainly a lot of care that went into recreating this map, as anyone who played the original Halo's multiplayer will instantly be able to tell. Granted, there isn't much to recreate when it comes to Blood Gulch. Even if the map was a bit simple, it's nice to see Epic Games pay attention to detail.
Blood Gulch Easter Eggs
The Halo series is known for its love of Easter eggs and Fortnite has certainly had its own mysteries crop up over the years. It wouldn't be a stretch to see those two worlds collide with some kind of Halo-themed Easter egg present on the Blood Gulch map.
Additionally, the Red vs. Blue tie-in with the announcement trailer could indicate a few references to RoosterTeeth's sci-fi machinima being peppered in as well. Of course, fans shouldn't forget that Fortnite is in the middle of a brand new season with some pretty massive events, so secrets of any kind are to be expected.
Fortnite's Capture the Flag Version of Blood Gulch
Blood Gulch's original game mode was Capture the Flag, and Epic Games has included an official version of the map where CTG can be played. Most users will be able to find this version listed under "Pick of the Day" once they load into the game's Creative mode. However, Xbox One users have reported issues accessing the CTF version. Epic Games clarified that Xbox One players will have to use the code 9677-6974-5646 in order to access the CTF Blood Gulch map.
The CTF mode is six versus six team mode. The flags are located at each team's base, just like in Halo's version of Blood Gulch. Fortnite's shooting mechanics aren't the same as Halo's, but it's still fun to revisit Blood Gulch with its classic game mode in-tact.