Wirebug

Wirebug is an in‑game device used in Fortnite, a popular battle royale video game developed by Epic Games. The device is a small, egg‑shaped object equipped with a ball‑shaped attachment that can be thrown or launched at surface elements such as walls, floor tiles, and weapon pickups. When fired, the wirebug retracts along the target surface, allowing a player to traverse the environment quickly or to position themselves with high precision. It can also be shot from ranged weapons, providing a versatile means of mobility that was introduced in the 2021 season.

The wirebug is applied by using a specific weapon, the Reaper, or the newer Harpoons, whichever the player has equipped. A successful use requires angle alignment; if the device fails to attach, it falls back to the slide released previous weapon or reverts to a ball state. The device is exclusively weapon‑based and is not found as a free–form item in the game’s build zone. It is also regulated by player skill and can be used to achieve rapid increases in movement speed.

The introduction of wirebug has influenced combat strategies in Fortnite and has been integrated into several tactics such as quickly reaching higher ground, attacking or avoiding enemies, and acquiring items. Its tactical relevance led the game’s community to develop a dedicated wiki page and associated discussion forums, which provide a variety of user‑generated guides for mastering its use.