Epic Games has announced a new addition to Fortnite: Battle Royale. Called the Reboot Van, the feature allows you to bring back squadmates that have died in battle--similar to the respawn stations in Apex Legends.
As part of Fortnite's next update, Reboot Vans and Reboot Cards will be added to the battle royale game. Upon death, squadmates will drop their Reboot Card, which can be used at a Reboot Van to respawn them.
"After a squadmate has been eliminated, grab their dropped Reboot Card and any surviving squadmates can activate it at a van," Epic Games community manager Nathan Mooney said in a video detailing the new respawn feature, which can be watched below. "Once activated, you'll definitely know, as a beacon and audio cue will be set off, informing nearby players to the reboot in progress and how many players will be arriving. You're squad will appear, one by one, on top of the van--ready to jump back into the match."
Much like in Apex Legends, your teammates will respawn back into the match without their weapons or items. So, in order to be sure they aren't left completely helpless, it's in your best interest to have something on hand that you can drop for your revived allies. Upon respawning a player, the Reboot Van will temporarily deactivate, and only turn back online after a set period of time.
The idea of respawning in Fortnite was first addressed in an Epic Games Reddit AMA in February 2019. "We've been considering this mechanic for a while and have been exploring it," an Epic producer said. "[We] want to make sure we give it the time it needs and fully understand its impact on the game as a whole. Look for further updates during Season 8." Season 8 started shortly thereafter, on February 28, and introduced pirate-themed content into Fortnite. The new Legendary skin for Season 8, Ruin, has just been revealed, and it can be unlocked in Week 8 by completing the season's weekly challenges.
In our Fortnite review, Michael Higham gave the game an 8/10. The battle royale game is available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, and mobile.