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Fortnite Season 4 Adds A New Map, Dirt Bikes & More
Plus, a fresh battle pass lets you play as the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia or Doom Slayer from Doom and Doom Eternal.
After an explosive finale to the third chapter of Fortnite, a fresh season has arrived, with a completely new island for players to wage battle over.
The new map features a bunch of landmarks that draw inspiration from fantasy themes, including a castle dubbed “The Citadel” that’s home to “The Ageless Champion”, as well as “Anvil Square”, a medieval town surrounded by autumn foliage. On another part of the island, players can explore an abandoned farm with the ominous title of “The Frenzy Fields”.
As well as a scenic new map, chapter four of Fortnite introduces updated gameplay elements. Dirt bikes called Trail Thrashers allow players to perform stunts and tricks while firing their weapons from the saddle. When on foot, it’s now possible to vault over obstacles by sprinting into them, and you can also use a pickaxe to create a snowball which can be rolled over enemies.
One of the game’s most intriguing new elements is being dubbed Reality Augments, which lets you choose between two random buffs you can keep until your character dies, or you win a match.
Also Read: Nvidia Announces RTX 6000 Ada Professional GPU
As for the behind-the-scenes technical updates, Epic has updated Fortnite to the newest version of Unreal Engine, and players on the latest platforms will now enjoy ray-traced reflections and other graphical improvements.
Finally, this season’s battle pass includes the ability to play as Doom Slayer, the protagonist of Doom and Doom Eternal, as well as Geralt of Rivia, the lead character from the Witcher. If you’re excited to get started on chapter four, season one of Fortnite, then you’ll be pleased to know the game is available to play right now.
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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth
The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.