Fortnite x Avengers game mode begins: Here are all the details

Yesterday, Epic Games announced a rather unexpected Avengers: Infinity War mash up for Fortnite. At the time, we were only told that Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet would feature in a new limited-time game mode, though additional details were kept under wraps. Today has been a bit more illuminating on that front, as the patch notes for Fortnite's new update tell us pretty much everything we need to know.

As it turns out, the Infinity Gauntlet game mode actually does quite a bit to change up Fortnite's standard formula. First and foremost, a meteor carrying the Infinity Gauntlet will land somewhere on the map shortly after the match begins. The player who finds the Infinity Gauntlet will transform into Thanos, gaining new abilities meant to lay waste to the opposition.

Thanos, as you can imagine, has little need for guns. Instead, his primary ability is a "mighty punch" that knocks enemies back and destroys structures. His punch seems to be strong enough to take out even shielded opponents in a couple of swings, but in case you need a bit more power, you have other abilities to tap into. For instance, you can use the Power Stone to fire a long-range energy beam at enemies, which destroys structures as well.

Thanos also has a super-powered jump that propels him high into the air, which can be used in tandem with a dive that creates an area of effect knockback when he hits the ground. Any player who encounters Thanos is going to have their work cut out for them, not only because of his abilities, but also because he has a lot of health and shields. He has 700 shields and 700 health to be exact, and his shields recharge each time he kills a player. Health, on the other hand, can't be regenerated, so he can be whittled down through multiple encounters.

Should you manage to kill Thanos, you'll be able to put on the Infinity Gauntlet and become the Mad Titan yourself. Chest spawns, floor loot spawns, and ammo box spawns have been significantly increased in this mode, and common-rarity weapons have been removed from the game entirely. That should at least give you a little bit of an edge when it comes to dealing with Thanos.

Other changes in Infinity Gauntlet mode include double resource harvest rates and greatly increased jump pad spawns. You'll want to make sure you stay in front of the storm, though, as the first storm starts moving toward the safe zone immediately and will drain 5% of your health per tick, climbing to 10% for each subsequent circle.

All in all, it sounds like quite the hectic mode. Matches are only meant to last around 15 minutes, though with Thanos serving as a big variable, many matches could end up being a lot shorter than that. There's no word on when Fortnite x Avengers will end, so be sure to get some games in while you can. Head over to Epic's website to read the patch notes in full.