Fortnite Patch Notes (11.50 Update): Harley Quinn, New Event And Physics Systems

Fortnite has gotten its weekly update, making some major under-the-hood changes and kicking off a new event. Details on the event weren't shared in the 11.50 patch notes themselves but were revealed shortly thereafter: The Love and War mode is now live and includes challenges and special rewards to earn before Season 2 begins later this month. But the update itself includes a potentially major change, as it introduces a brand-new physics system--and thanks to dataminers and a subsequent tease, we also know this update apparently includes paves the way for some kind of Harley Quinn/Birds of Prey crossover.

A leak first revealed Harley Quinn skins and crossover items were likely coming soon, and Epic Games has made it official with a tweet teasing just that. Specific details have not yet been shared, but with Birds of Prey releasing in theaters this week, expect the crossover to be live soon. [Update: Sure enough, Epic has shared more details and revealed that the Harley Quinn skin and items, which are now available on the Fortnite item shop. They'll only be available until February 17, so make sure to purchase the bundle--which includes an upgradeable skin and two pickaxes--soon if you're interested.]

The physics change had been previously announced, but the 11.50 update finally implements it. Epic says that right now its main goal is to make sure Fortnite still feels like Fortnite, so make sure to use the in-game feedback tool to report any issues. The update also unvaults the Launch Pad for non-competitive playlists.

In addition, this update fixes a handful of bugs. Those include removing the sidegrading feature in competitive playlists, resolving an issue with new console players having trouble with matchmaking, and an iOS player bug that would trigger the swipe-up feature when trying to access the inventory.

Meanwhile, Epic is preparing to launch Chapter 2, Season 2 later this month. The challenges are still on for the remainder of Season 1, so check out our challenge guide to get you through and maximize that battle pass.

Fortnite Update 11.50 Changes

• The new event starts soon! Check back here later today for more details. [Love and War mode, detailed above)
• In non-competitive playlists, the Launch Pad has been unvaulted.
• Implemented Unreal Engine’s Chaos physics system, mentioned previously here.
  • At launch, our goal is to ensure that Fortnite still feels like what you would expect. We’ll be closely monitoring your feedback from the in-game Feedback tool for any issues you may be experiencing.
  • To report issues via the in-game Feedback tool, select Feedback in the main menu and choose Bug. We encourage you to put “Physics” in the subject line and include a concise message in the body that accurately describes the issue(s) you’re experiencing.

Bug fixes:

• Resolved an issue involving some players’ completion of the “Search chests in a single match” Chaos Rising Challenge not being saved.
• The “Earn Gold Scavenger Medals” Rippley vs. Sludge Overtime Challenge now tracks progress properly.
• The Sidegrading feature is no longer present in competitive playlists. Its presence in these playlists was unintentional, as noted in our v11.40 post.
• Resolved an issue involving new players on consoles having difficulty matchmaking after first linking their Epic account.
• Addressed reports of iOS players activating their device’s swipe-up feature when trying to press inventory buttons.