Fortnite Debuts Rocket Racing Mode, a Frantic Mario Kart Clone

The Fortnite world is filling up. 

On Dec. 7, the hit video game’s developer, Epic Games, debuted Lego Fortnite. On Friday, it released another standalone part of the game: Rocket Racing. The new mode is a frantic, arcade-style adventure that allows players to use vehicles from another popular Epic property, Rocket League.

Initially released in 2015, Rocket League features rocket-powered cars that compete in a version of soccer that has become a highly competitive esport.

Much like Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing borrows heavily from some of the finest games in its genre. Lead designer Grady Standard cited hit arcade racers like Mario Kart, Bizarre Creation’s Blur and Nintendo’s F-Zero as major inspirations — layering in Rocket Racing’s inventive vehicles, which can do things like scale across walls with ease. Moreover, Standard promises Rocket Racing has “simple” mechanics but an overall sense of “intricate complexity.” 

Like Lego Fortnite, arcade racing game fans will slip easily behind the wheel in Rocket Racing. It feels pleasurably familiar, with Mario Kart’s influence especially present around what feels like every corner — from hitting the throttle at a race’s start to gain an advantage to speeding over boost pads. It’s a sensible hook for a new free-to-play game.

Play longer into Rocket Racing, and the increasingly complex tracks add meaningful depth. At any point, cars jump and hover at the tap of a button (leaping over hazards or launching onto tracks suspended in the air). In one memorable race in our preview of the game, a jump sent a vehicle splashing through a waterfall — a significant shortcut to the front of the pack.

Like Rocket League, Rocket Racing’s cars can stick to walls. Tapping a direction and the X button during a jump will snap a vehicle to a corresponding surface, opening opportunities to hit boost pads hidden on ceilings or walls. The ability can also be used to slam back down to the ground after a huge jump, allowing you to gain a bit more speed over players still flying through the air.

Lastly, players can fill up a boost meter by drifting around corners. There’s a delicate balance for deciding when to cash in a boost. Saving it for the final stretch can lead to a photo finish — but preserving the precious resource means risking a fall in the ranks early in a match.

Rocket Racing strikes a delicate balance, easy enough for players to “hop in on their first day and immediately be able to fly,” Standard said, “while still having the high skill ceiling to perfect getting those flips onto walls, and drifting on the ceilings and stuff like that.”

For players deep in into Fortnite, it's worth mentioning that all vehicles available in Rocket Racing will also be available in Fortnite’s Battle Royale and creative modes. Not every Rocket League car will be available at launch, but Psyonix is working on making them compatible as Rocket Racing is updated in the months and years ahead.

At launch, Rocket Racing will have 26 tracks available. It won’t end there. A feature allowing players to build their own tracks will come sometime in 2024.