Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 makes massive changes to Shields and Medkits

Epic Games is introducing major game changes in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1. This will not just change gameplay but give players more freedom while healing. Based on the information provided in the official blog post, players will now be able to move while consuming all consumables, a feature that was previously not doable in the game.

The moment a player moved, consuming the item would cancel and get reset. Players would have to start from scratch. Given that this could take between five to ten seconds, depending on the item being consumed, players would have stayed still for that amount of time.

To make matters worse, the item's effect would only kick in after it was completely consumed. This meant that if the player was rushed or flanked by enemies, they would have to fight back and risk being eliminated due to low health or try and escape. Thankfully, all of this is now a thing of the past, and it's one of the best changes ever made.

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Medkits and Shield Potions can be used on the go in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1

Thanks to some clever thinking and ingenuity, players can now move about and use Medkits and Shield Potions in-game. What's more is that their health-points/shield-points will replenish as they are consuming the item. This is a lot better than waiting for the item to be fully consumed and then receiving the intended effect.

Here is what the official Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 blog post says:

"Medkits and Shield Potions have changed. Both of them now restore the same amount of stats as before, but the way they do it is different. They now start restoring immediately, and you can move slowly while they restore. Be a sitting Quackling no more with these two items."

For the time being, Epic Games has only mentioned these two items. However, it could be possible that in future seasons, things like Chug Jugs may also make use of this new mechanic. Here is what players have to say about this new feature:

As seen from the comments, players are happy with this improvement, but there is a small issue. While they are now free to move about, they can not cancel the consumption process. This is rather odd, as Fortnite players could do so in the past.

As such, this has left many confused as to why Epic Games chose this path. Many suggest simply bringing back Med-Mist as it could be used on the go. The animation process could also be canceled to stop the item being used mid-way.

That said, while being able to move is a good improvement, some players think it's moving two steps backward rather than forward. Only time will tell if this feature will come out on top in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1.