Fortnite Chapter 3 has been live for three days, and while we’re still figuring out the new mechanics, weapons, and more, we’re starting to get a handle on things.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the new chapter, including the good, the bad, and the buggy.

The new map is much better than C2

The most important element of any new chapter has to be the map. The Chapter 2 map was exciting to see, but it didn’t give that fuzzy feeling that Chapter 1 map changes did.

This time, the map felt exactly how I wanted it to when I dropped into my first few games. I’m excited to explore this new map and watch it evolve over the coming seasons.

I love the new map so far. It’s the best part of the new chapter.

Epic Games

Sliding is siiiiiick

Let’s start with a pleasant surprise. I thought sliding was going to be an issue going into the season. So far, it works great.

Adding slides was one of the smaller changes Epic made to the Chapter, but it’s also one of my favorites. It lets you move faster without a car or Launch Pad, and undoubtedly allows for some massive outplay potential in combat.

Epic Games

I’m understanding why bloom was a thing

Bloom has always been a mechanic in Fortnite. It was worse in Chapter 2 than it was in Chapter 1, but it was always there.

The new ADS weapons in Chapter 3 don’t have bloom, and I’m starting to see why it was added in the first place. You can delete people with accurate shots.

We’re seeing a Warzone-like time-to-kill with some of these weapons. We’ll see if it’s an issue going forward.

Shotguns are useless

The new Tac and Pump iterations are some of the worst shotguns the game has seen, especially in the context of the new “spray” weapons.

At this point, there’s little reason for a lot of players to use a shotgun in a prolonged fight. They simply don’t do enough reliable damage to allow for the massive edit outplays we’ve seen in the past.

It almost feels like this switch is intentional. Epic might want to lower the skill gap a bit, which is understandable. The skill gap is the biggest thing holding people back from returning to the game.

New healing items are fantastic

It’s about time that we got some new healing items. Thankfully, Epic know that there are few things worse than running around with 15 HP, searching for a Medkit.

Epic have been buffing white heals for a long time, but they took a huge step forward in Chapter 3. We now have the health spray and healing juice – both of which are more worthwhile than even a Medkit.

These additions seem small, but they show that Epic are still tweaking the basics of the game and improving the quality-of-life in their BR.

Jimmy Russo is a writer and editor for jaxon.gg covering a variety of games and topics. He specializes in first-person shooters including Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Valorant, while also covering livestreaming news on Twitch and other aspects of the gaming industry.