How could the long-rumored Fortnite physics update change the game?

Whether you’re someone who occasionally jumps into Battle Royale or plays different modes daily, changes to Fortnite physics are something you need to be aware of. It’s been rumored for over a year that Epic Games’ premier ecosystem could receive an upgrade, which (if it’s true) could have massive implications for how the game is played. 

We’re going through not only the new Fortnite physics rumors and news, but also the impact it will have on casual and competitive play in 2025. Provided the update happens this year, it will be among the biggest changes to the game since the engine was upgraded three years ago. 

The last big Fortnite physics update to come to the game was with the adoption of Unreal Engine 5 at the very end of 2022, upgrading things from the previous Unreal Engine 4 game engine. It’s been continually iterated upon since then, with the latest version of Unreal Engine 5.4 powering Fortnite since 2024. It includes support from local fog volumes, ray tracing, variable shading, and more lifelike animations with a denser data set than the previous iteration, resulting in better (and smoother) gameplay. 

Of course, any new Fortnite physics will depend on the different game modes. Things are substantially different with the Battle Royale and Zero build modes than they are in Fortnite Ballistic or Fortnite Reload, for example. Speaking to Ballistic specifically, Epic Games recently announced the Test Grounds and shell maps, giving users the chance to better understand the physics and mechanics of its first-person game mode. 

Fortnite leaks have alleged that sweeping changes are coming to the game. It’s said that a new physics system could be introduced as early as July through September 2025, according to credible leakers such as HYPEX on X, who have showcased an alleged video demonstration on the platform. 

The 16-second clip shows off what appears to be a wildly more accurate Fortnite physics system for the Battle Royale mode. The supposed clip demonstrates new physics with a seesaw that dynamically moves based on the player’s movements, bowling pins that are knocked down by a giant bowling ball, and a red button that, when triggered, launches an explosive barrel over a hill. 

The new Fortnite physics could also have wider ramifications for the platform on the whole, according to credible leaker, ShiinaBR, who said: “Creators can now publish their own UEFN Physics-based games into Fortnite”, iterating that: “With General Physics, players can push, topple, hit, and move objects – unlocking emergent, physics-driven gameplay”. 

While the supposed Fortnite physics video clip demonstrates a visual way of how Unreal Engine 5 has been upgraded, it’s not showing us real-world testing for the game’s combat and competitive modes. On a broader note, introducing realistic physics could have sweeping changes to how the game is played, particularly with the traditional Battle Royale experience, because the structures built could be knocked down dynamically instead of just being shot at. It also adds the implication that the walls and buildings forged would react dynamically to player input, cutting down on the far-fetched nature of speed-building structures that we see when playing Ranked, as players try to frantically hide behind their creations. 

Moreover, new Fortnite physics means having to relearn the intricacies of the gameplay. With more lifelike animations comes the opportunity for heightened bullet physics as the ever-changing map reacts more organically to player input. We could see weapon handling be overhauled, alongside increased destructability in the game world; it’s purely speculation on our part, but this update could coincide with Chapter 7 as Chapter 6 would be coming to a close by the alleged timeframe of September 2025. As such, Fortnite as we’ve known it for the last three years could be sunsetting sooner rather than later. 

We’ve seen Fortnite change substantially over the years, thanks to the implementation of Chaos Physics used in the game. The Fortnite esports scene features only the best players in the world who know the title inside and out, which weapons to use, where to go on the map, optimum routes to head inwards from the storm, etc. Improving the physics in the ways rumored would drastically alter the game’s meta. While a (seemingly) slight upgrade, players at the highest level would then have to account for things that were previously not in the game, such as the alleged destructibility, and ways that players interact with the environments dynamically, which are currently not a part of Fortnite. 

In May 2025, Epic Games released experimental General Physics as a development tool. We wouldn’t be surprised if the best Fortnite players in the world were becoming familiar with the new physical interactions and simulations that could be coming to the game sooner rather than later. According to the patch notes, General Physics states how players can interact with objects by moving into them, jumping on them, and striking them with a pickaxe, or by shooting them with a hitscan weapon, such as a shotgun, pistol, SMG, or assault rifle. The listing states that “only hitscan weapons will affect physics objects”, so we could see the meta of gunfights completely change. 

The rumored Fortnite physics changes could drastically overhaul how the game is played on casual and top-level play. Epic Games has rolled out experimental new physics as a developer tool, which could be hinting towards what’s to come in the Battle Royale (as well as other modes). It may give the pros something else to worry about when playing, including how environmental interactions and hitscan weapons work in the game.