Fortnite update 28.01.01 patch notes: Movement changes, LEGO Fortnite hotfix & more

Rishabh Sabarwal
Fortnite cover image new

Fortnite has now released a v28.01.01 update that brings significant changes to movement and other game modes. Here are the patch notes.

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 went under a Winterfest update in the past week that added some holiday season vibes to the island. Players are completing the themed challenges and opening presents to get free rewards in the game.

However before Epic Games goes on a company-wide winter break, another update has now arrived in Fortnite that addresses and fixes various issues with Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite, and other game modes in a comprehensive manner.

While the update doesn’t bring a “game-changing” feature yet since those are slated for January 2024, it does make things easier for players.

So if you’re wondering what’s new in the recent 28.01.01 update, here are the patch notes.

A logo symbolising updates and downtime in Fortnite

Fortnite update 28.01.01 downtime details

Fortnite update v28.01.01 was released on Tuesday, November 19, 2023, at 4 AM PT / 6 AM ET / 12 Noon BST.

Downtime for this update has ended and the servers are now live, so you can jump back in whenever you want!

Fortnite update 28.01.01 patch notes

Movement changes

After much backlash, Epic finally made adjustments to movement animations and speed in Chapter 5 Season 1. In the official blog post, they said:

Movement speed has been increased when crouching, and running. We also reduced camera movement and adjusted the change in view while sprinting to encourage a smoother experience. Plus, we updated the movement animations to better match the adjustments in speed.

To help you get adjusted to these updates, we’ve reset everyone’s “Custom Diagonal Movement” settings, so please log in and reconfigure your settings to what feels best.

Visibility and Readability improvements

Society Medallion icons now stand out more on the map and should be easier to spot at a glance. Epic also reduced the visual noise present in the minimap when several Medallion zones are near one another, especially in the later Storm circles.

They have also brightened certain areas of the map where it was a little too dark during the night. The visibility of the Storm’s edge has been improved so it’s more apparent how close it is, as per the community’s request.

Weapon icons change

Epic said that they were aware of feedback that the Frenzy Auto Shotgun and the Thunder Burst SMG weapon icons were too similar, making it hard to differentiate them.

These icons have now been updated to be more visually unique and legible so players can easily find and store them in their loadout.

LEGO Fortnite changes

When it comes to the most popular ongoing game LEGO Fortnite, Epic has now increased the max stack size for items from 30 to 50. This comes as one of the most useful fixes to the game for many players who complained about low inventory size in survival mode.

Furthermore, food will now be more fulfilling, which means your LEGO Fortnite character won’t get hungry too often. There were additional fixes made to the game with the current patch. Here are all of them:

  • Fixed a bug that might have made you lose your items after being eliminated in the transition between aboveground and belowground.
  • The durability of non-Rare/non-Epic tools and weapons has increased by 30%. For Rare/Epic tools and weapons, the durability has increased by 60%!
  • Reduced damage of the Brute’s Poison area for all three Brutes.  
  • Reduced damage of the Frost Scorpion explosion.
  • Sand Scorpions, Scorpions found in caves, regular Scorpions, Crabs on the shoreline, Sand Spiders, and Alpine Frost Spiders are slightly easier to defeat. 
  • Rams now give Heavy Wool.
  • Grapplers now hold 30 charges. 
  • Spiders won’t jumpscare you as often when turning over rocks. 

Rocket Racing changes

Epic has also made significant changes to Rocket Racing mode that make it easier for Fortnite players to enjoy the adrenaline and win races. Here are the changes made:

  • Work going on incremental improvements to help players get into their races faster.
  • Car-on-car collisions have been a major topic among players, especially when a bump from behind spins the car 180 degrees. Today’s update makes those collisions a bit less punishing and should help keep the player’s car facing the finish line.
  • The Reach Gold rank in Rocket Racing Quest to unlock the Jackie Outfit was rewarding players for reaching Gold II instead of Gold I. Epic has patched this so that racers who have hit Gold I now just need to complete one full race to complete the Quest and receive the Jackie Outfit.

Fortnite Festival changes

While many didn’t expect much change with Fortnite Festival, it also received some significant fixes with the current patch. Here are the fixes made:

  • Fixed an error that caused players to see an empty song library in the Main Stage after suspending Fortnite on their device. This should also improve the pauses some players encounter before a song starts. 
  • Fall damage has been disabled in the Main Stage’s Backstage.
  • Disabled the “Restart Song” functionality (available to Solo players) temporarily.
  • Fixed an issue where some scores may have been posted to the wrong leaderboard.

Battle Royale balance changes

Here are all the significant changes made to the Battle Royale mode in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1:

  • Flowberries now grant more Shield.
  • Increased damage for the Ranger Pistol, Shield Breaker EMP, and Ballistic Shield’s pistol.
  • Snowball Launcher mag size reduced.
  • Thunder Burst SMG mag size increased.
  • Reduced the drop rate of the Reaper Sniper Rifle.
  • Striker AR deals less damage.
  • The circle indicating a Society Medallion holder is smaller.
  • Society Medallions now have a brief delay before Shield regen begins. They also have slightly reduced regen rates and no longer refill 100% Shield (unless you have all five).

That’s everything you need to know about the Fortnite patch update 28.01.01! Make sure you check out our Fortnite page for the latest news and guides.

About The Author

Rishabh is a Games Writer at Dexerto. He's our Fortnite expert and knows all there is about the Looped Island and the Zero Point. He comes with an experience in films and storytelling in India and has past experience covering Roblox, Fortnite and PlayStation titles for reputed publications. You can contact Rishabh at: rishabhsabarwal@dexerto.com