Fortnite Announces Reboot Van Will Be Added to Battle Royale in 8.30 Patch

Fortnite announced Friday the long-awaited arrival of respawn in the popular battle royale video game will happen in next week's version 8.30 patch with the addition of a Reboot Van. 

Here's a look at a trailer for the new item, which will appear around the map:

Although the idea of respawn isn't new, the pressure for Fortnite to add it amplified when Apex Legends launched with the mechanic already in the game. Getting back downed teammates was one of the competitor's main selling points, along with more old-school, weapon-based gameplay.

Apex Legends wasn't able to maintain its early success in terms of Twitch viewership, which has allowed Fortnite to comfortably regain the top spot among shooters.

But Epic Games has faced a new wave of criticism in recent weeks after its decision to remove getting health and materials for eliminating opponents in its standard game modes (solo, duo and squad).

Those benefits are still active in Arena Mode, the qualification process for the upcoming World Cup. The decision seemed like an attempt to get all of the top-tier players to compete in Arena matches, leaving the public lobbies for casual players.

"After monitoring a combination of gameplay, data, and feedback, we've gathered necessary info to conclude this initial test," Epic wrote in the 8.20 patch notes. "We feel it has resulted in an unhealthy level of aggressive play, diminishing other viable strategies. The following changes have been reverted in all core modes."

The company hasn't reversed its decision amid pressure from pro players and content creators.

Adding respawn should result in more positive feedback across the Fortnite community, but the calls for the return of the siphon rewards is likely to continue.

New patches are usually released on Tuesdays, meaning the Reboot Van should arrive April 9.