This week, Fortnite’s jamming scene got a HARD upgrade with some big hits in store. Epic Games just put out the schedule for the upcoming Jam Track releases, and ohhh-baby-if you ever wanted to play Through the Fire and Flames to a virtual crowd, now is the time. For once, for the first time, in the store. Let that sink down.
But wait-Lots happening on Thursday! Chvrches’ Good Luck, Babe! drops with not just the song but an entire EMOTE BUNDLE, because you have to dance while pretending to pluck some strings along with it. And with that, BAM, Friday goes into full swing with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird. Yes, THAT Free Bird, the one that just has fans in venues going crazy. Now-you and the rest of your Fortnite squad-are about to be a lot crazier.
So why does this matter? Because essentially, the Jam Track drops at Fortnite Festival have been maintaining the vibe of the game lately. Remember when The Weeknd tracks were added, and the lobbies transformed into a synthwave rave? When Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga turned every single match into a goth party? The current setlist? Next-level nostalgia meets complete anarchy.
A THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES kind of thing here. DragonForce’s guitar-hero-melting hit of 2007 is FINALLY IN THE GAME, and if you don’t think that this is going to be an air-guitar central for millions of players, you are lying to yourself. The timing cannot be better. Just when the players are starting to get a hang of rhythm mechanics, Epic goes and release one of the hardest songs anyone could ever play in real life; good luck with those notes, keyboard warriors.
The next is Good Luck, Babe!-a Chvrches synth-pop anthem that’s pretty much a serotonin shot. The emote bundle practically gives you permission to lip-synch your heart out while your character does things…well, we’re not really sure what.
And then there’s Free Bird. Free Bird: That is a song name any self-respecting guitarist ought to fear or respect; that nearly 10-minute guitar solo either lifts you out of mortal existence or inspires you to begin street riots-Wow, putting that one inside Fortnite is a power move! Can you imagine the mayhem if it hit the endgame circles? That would be pure chaos.
Pricing has yet to be revealed. However, in the past, Jam Tracks have been selling for around 500 V-Bucks for singles, while bundles would run anywhere from 800 to 1,000. Worth it? If you’ve ever air-drummed in your room, heck yes.
Time to get your sleeves rolled up, grab your fake guitar, and start practicing rapid button mashing for this week’s Festival queue that will change the game into the world’s weirdest karaoke bar. We all do this together, people.
I secretly also want someone to mod Free Bird into an actual match so we can drop into the island just as the guitar solo hits its peak. Just saying.
