Fortnite’s First Update Since Layoffs Adds Finger Guns Weapon, Big Heads and Shoulder Riding — All Just for 24 Hours

Fortnite has released its first major update since last month’s devastating layoffs, which left more than 1,000 staff at Epic Games out of work. Today’s additions to battle royale gameplay are comedic yet sizable — and will only last 24 hours.

Today is, of course, April Fool’s Day — and Fortnite is leaning into the fun by adding a new weapon to its main Battle Royale mode, as well as its sister offerings Reload and Blitz. The weapon is… finger guns, where your character will really just make finger gun gestures at an enemy for damage.

Also added today — and just for today — are big heads, reminiscent of the look you’d often unlock in classic video games via the use of cheat codes. Amusingly, developer Epic Games has admitted it has struggled implementing this with the slender Peely the banana man, who instead now has a Cuddle Team Leader mask plonked on top.

YOU CAN STACK MULTIPLE PLAYERS 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/y9NBJldpgV

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) April 1, 2026

The April Fool’s additions continue with shoulder riding, a seemingly major mechanic where players can clamber up and give each others piggy back rides — allowing your teammates to shoot while up on your shoulders! Players have discovered you can even stack more than two players at once — how many are possible?

Finally, fall damage has been removed (replaced with the sound of a splat when landing), while ridable llamas have been added for you trot around on. And again, all just for 24 hours.

This is the kind of update that few other games would roll out for so little time, but that’s Fortnite for you, I guess. Interested in getting into the fun? All of the above will be available until just 5.30am Eastern tomorrow, April 2.

Announcing the layoffs last month, Sweeney said Epic Games had reacted to a downturn in interest for Fortnite that began in 2025, though analysts told IGN that fewer people playing the game’s veteran battle royale was only one of its problems. The company has spent years fighting costly legal battles with Apple and Google, while bankrolling the Epic Games Store as it attempts to rival Steam. And then there’s the explosive growth of Roblox, which Fortnite has now fallen behind.

While today’s update is robust, some of those who remain at the company say they simply don’t know how Fortnite will look later this year and beyond with close to a quarter of the company’s staff gone.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social