Fortnite’s latest update, Chapter 6 Season 3, has landed with a Star Wars twist. This season shakes up the battle royale island with new movement mechanics that change how players get around. Lightsabers, Force abilities, and more are here—let’s see what’s new, plus why it matters.
Launched on May 2, 2025, the “Galactic Battle” season brings Star Wars to the game. The official Fortnite news page highlights new spots like the Death Star and Tatooine, plus Star Wars weapons and items. The big news? Movement upgrades. Lightsabers boost your sprint speed, let you double jump, and block fall damage. Force abilities like Force Push and Force Pull let you move stuff—or enemies—around the map. Check out the full details in Fortnitenews.com’s patch notes.
These additions make Fortnite feel quicker and smoother. With lightsabers, you can dash faster and leap to high ground easily. Force abilities let you push foes back or pull objects for cover. There are also new vehicles like TIE Fighters and X-Wings for fast travel and fights in the sky, as covered by Polygon. And hold tight—the Mandalorian Jetpack drops May 22, letting you soar across the island per Beebom. It’s a big shift for players who like to stay on the move.
Players have mixed feelings. Some love the Star Wars vibe, but others miss old mechanics like roll landing. On X, @InZwayne posted, “They vaulted the new movement,” and @PeasPolo84 said, “The movement sucks on the new update.” Still, plenty of fans are excited about the fresh gameplay. It’s classic BR—some love it, some don’t.
The season’s not done yet. On May 8, 2025, the “Pull of the Force” update will add more Force tricks, possibly changing movement again per Fortnitenews.com. The Mandalorian Jetpack will also mix things up soon. The game’s movement system update brings a lively twist to the game, even if it’s got some folks grumbling. For more gaming scoop, visit Total Apex Gaming’s news section or explore more at Total Apex Gaming.
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The New York Knicks have had a busy summer thus far as they have made multiple additions to their roster to try and improve off their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks also made a head coaching change to begin the summer as they fried Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with two-time Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown. During free agency, New York added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to upgrade their bench at a cheap cost, which is an area that they struggled with last season. The Knicks do have one more roster spot open which they will likely use to add another veteran player to their bench. While the Knicks have focused on upgrading their depth this summer, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell recently created a mock trade that would see New York send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Dallas Mavericks for one of their star players along with depth. In the trade, the Knicks would acquire Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington from the Mavericks while Dallas would land Towns and Vit Krejci. The Atlanta Hawks are the third team involved in the trade and they would receive Caleb Martin and two second-round picks from the Mavericks. For the Knicks, it would be a tough decision to move on from Towns but they would be able to fill some glaring holes in their roster with their return in this deal. Thompson would give them a much-needed three-point sharpshooter in their starting lineup while both Washington and Gafford would be major additions to their frontcourt, especially on the defensive end. Despite this, the Mavericks may not want to move on from three of their key players to acquire Towns, who struggled in the playoffs last season, primarily on defense. While that may be the case, making this trade would be a massive upgrade to the Knicks’ lineup and depth that could make them the team to beat in the Eastern Conference next season.
Damion Baugh spent his rookie season in the NBA playing for the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old had averages of 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 32.3% from the field in 15 games. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hornets will now waive Baugh. Via Scotto: "The Charlotte Hornets are waiving two-way player Damion Baugh, league sources told @hoopshype . Charlotte is waiving Baugh to clear a spot for the addition of Antonio Reeves on a two-way contract." ESPN's Shams Charania had first reported that the Hornets were signing Reeves. Via Charania: "The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Antonio Reeves to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN. The 2024 Pelicans second-round pick averaged 6.9 points and 40% 3-point shooting in 44 games as a rookie last season."
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
The Los Angeles Lakers had been looking around for a center for most of the offseason before they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after the Trail Blazers waived him. One of the teams they were rumored to be talking with in a trade was the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers were interested in Nic Richards after the Suns added multiple other centers. Now that the Lakers have signed Ayton, and re-signed Jaxson Hayes as the backup, an NBA insider has given an update on where things stand on a possible trade between the two teams. More news: LeBron James Reportedly Wanted to Join Mavericks, Team Up With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, there are no longer any discussions between the two teams now that Ayton is in LA. If the Lakers are looking to make a trade to further improve the roster before the season starts, it won't be with the Suns. At this point, they would likely only be looking to add a forward. Wing players are what they need now that they have signed Marcus Smart to help with their perimeter defense. A wing who can switch multiple positions is the next thing on their list. Whether or not they are willing to give up the assets to land that kind of player before the season starts remains to be seen. They have to figure out what the roster looks like as it is currently put together before they decide to make any more moves. More news: Lakers Targeting $66 Million NBA Champion Wing in Potential Blockbuster Trade Los Angeles is hoping that they are closer to winning a championship than things look like right now. While they were the third seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder look like they are so far ahead of everyone else. The Lakers are certainly good enough to compete offensively for a championship, but they have to improve defensively before they are ready to go deep in the playoffs, after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is hoping to add a wing, whether it's before the season starts or at the trade deadline. That could end up being the last piece that they need in order to win a championship. More news: Lakers Linked to $134.4 Million All-Star, NBA Champ in Blockbuster Trade For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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