Fortnite down today as latest v6.21 update arrives

Fortnitemares, balloons and bug fixes all arrive in the new update

Fortnite's popularity has attracted cyber criminals to its platform (Getty Images)

Fortnite has gone down ahead of its latest update.

Players are unable to get into the game as developers Epic deploy the latest updates.

When it does arrive, it will bring a whole host of new features and bug fixes.

Probably most exciting of all of them is the addition of a new item: balloons. Players can pick them up and then use them to float across the map – though shooting them will mean that anyone hanging onto them will fall to the ground.

"Blow ‘em up and float away, this new addition lets you get around like never before," Epic wrote in its release notes.

As well as the balloons, there is a new character called Dim Mak Igor in Save The World.

"Throw Smoke Bombs at enemy Husks while you resist damage with Shadow Stance," Epic's description reads. "Trust him, he’s a doctor."

Developers also announced that the Fortnitemares challenge, introduced for Halloween, will finish on 4 November. Finishing it before then will unlock the Dark Engine Glider – which looks like a haunted train – and tuning in at 1pm eastern when it comes to a close will allow players to see the event.

As well as those changes, the new update brings bug fixes including changes to how grapplers and gliders work.