Fortnite Chapter 4 began by introducing the beloved Shockwave Hammer in Season 1, and now Season 2 has swapped that blunt instrument for a more elegant weapon: the Kinetic Blade katana. This thing is incredible, and, like the hammer before it, will very often be the deciding factor between victory and defeat this season.
There’s a big difference between being just decent with the Kinetic Blade and being great with it. Anybody can spam the yeet attack and get lucky sometimes, but once you actually know what you’re doing with the katana–meaning you know not just how to use it but also when–then you’ll be slashing and throwing your foes all over the place in no time. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this on your own. Below you’ll find a complete breakdown of this weapon, from our full explanation of the mechanics down to the combat scenarios in which you’ll need to pull it out.
How exactly the Kinetic Blade works
The Kinetic Blade fills the same niche that the hammer did, as a tool for quick movement that also has some serious combat capabilities when used correctly and in the right situations. But in more literal terms, the Kinetic Blade is a whole new gameplay mechanic that doesn’t work like the hammer did at all, really. So we’re all starting fresh with this thing, which requires a bit more finesse than the hammer did.