Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch: our live coverage in the build-up to the new Star Wars-themed season
Hello there!
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is imminent, set to arrive following a period of scheduled downtime on May 2, 2025, at 2am ET / / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST.
It'll be a Star Wars-focused affair called Galactic Battle, bringing a whole new Battle Pass to work through, and new map locations to visit. In the build-up to launch, I'll be covering things live, providing up-to-date details on scheduled downtime, the highlights set to arrive next season, and my initial impressions of things once it's all gone live.
Epic Games has been busy teasing the next season of Fortnite over the last week or so, and we now know that it's entirely centered around Star Wars. So far, there's been a teaser trailer showing off some of the upcoming Battle Pass skins, a look at how the map is set to change as part of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, as well as the announcement of an in-game event that'll air shortly after the new season launches.
If early signs are anything to go on, the upcoming Star Wars updates to Fortnite could be a real high point for Chapter 6 so far. Hopefully, we'll get to fly some X-Wings, battle Samurai variants of iconic Star Wars villains, and even get to see Darth Jar-Jar in action.
Personally, I've found this Chapter a little bit lacking, so I'm excited to see how Epic Games delivers on the most involved Star Wars season yet. I'll be dropping in on launch day, checking out the new Battle Pass skins and testing the new weapon loot pool, seeing if the changes are good enough to keep Fortnite in TechRadar's best free games list.
Join me as I keep you up to date with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, including live coverage of the scheduled downtime, and my live impressions once I drop into my first few matches. As new info on the latest season drops, this page will be updated. Here's what you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, now that we're on the eve of launch day..
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 - cut to the chase
Only have time for the basics? Here are the most important things to know about Fortnite Galactic Battle:
- Start time: May 2 at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am GMT
- New skins: Darth Sidious, Rebel Evie, Poe Dameron, General Grievous, Chewbacca mask
- New map locations: Vader Samurai's Solitude, Resistance Base, Outpost Enclave, First Order Base
- Events: Tales of the Underworld episode screening, Live event finale
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 start date
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will start on May 2 at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST. Well, sort of. This is when downtime will start, so it'll likely be a few hours before we're all able to jump back in.
Once we know more about how long downtime is set to last, we'll be able to make a prediction as to when the new season is going live. For now, assume downtime to be at least two or three hours, as has been the case for the last couple of seasons.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 map changes
As you can see from the image above, there are four new major POIs (points of interest) set to be added alongside the new Fortnite Season. The first is Outpost Enclave, which is a rebel base looking similar in structure to Tatooine.
Then there's the First Order Base, which is set to be populated by Stormtroopers. Then, there's Vader Samurai's Solitude, which hints at a potential Vader mini-boss. Finally, the Resistance Base is set amongst the forest, and features the Millennium Falcon.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass skins
There are five main skins on offer as part of the Fortnite Galactic Battle Pass. These include a new Emperor skin, General Grievous, Poe Dameron, a Resistance Fighter-variant of Evie, and a Wookie Team Leader outfit.
It's likely that we'll see alternate colors for these skins, included in the Battle Pass. What's unclear at present is what the Bonus Skin will be. I'm betting on Darth Jar-Jar, who has been shown off in the trailers so far.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 schedule
Epic Games has revealed that Fortnite Galactic Battle will receive weekly updates that add new weapons, and other content into the game. Here's the full schedule:
- Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
- Tales of the Underworld (watch first two episodes in Fortnite) - May 2, 2025
- The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
- Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
- Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
- Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025
As a freelance games writer, it's my job to stay up to date with the latest games, especially live service titles like Fortnite. I've put hundreds of hours into the game at this point, having jumped on during Fortnite Vibing. Since then, I've particularly enjoyed the Fortnite OG seasons, which gave me the opportunity to experience older seasons of Fortnite that I missed the first time around. Hopefully, this upcoming Star Wars season of Fortnite will give me plenty to check out each week, with regular updates that culminate in a live finale event.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 live coverage
Signing off for a short break
I'll be taking a short break now, but I'll be back at 12PM ET / 5PM BST / 9AM PT to resume my live coverage of Fortnite Galactic Battle. There's still plenty to dive into, including the new map changes which tease the return of Vader Samurai.
There's set to be five weekly updates to enjoy
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will run through until early June, making it a condensed season when compared to the last two. Each week, there's going to be an update that'll kick off new narrative elements, and shift the focus of the season. Here's the update schedule:
- Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
- The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
- Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
- Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
- Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025
Catch the first two episodes of Tales of the Underworld early
Be among the first to view the first two episodes of the new Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld animated series, exclusive to the Star Wars Watch Party island in Fortnite for the first 48 hours before it hits Disney+! The island goes live on May 2 at 10AM ET / 3PM BST / 7AM PT.
Grab The Vaultbrella
Speaking of making the most of Season 2 while it's still live, you can still pick up The Vaultbrella by getting a Victory Royale. Easier said than done, but worth giving a go while you wait for the Star Wars events to kick off.
There's still time
With less than a day left of Fortnite Lawless, you might want to make the most of the remaining hours and collect any Battle Pass skins you've yet to redeem. Tier 100 features Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, though honestly, I'm happy with having just earned Big Dill.
What about Darth Jar-Jar?
Finally, Darth Jar Jar is officially canon, well... in terms of Fortnite canon, I suppose. He's seemingly not included in the Battle Pass, so I'm betting he'll be the bonus skin for this season. We'll have to wait and see.
Mace Windu finally joins Fortnite
Despite Fortnite having featured Mace's lightsaber before as a mythic weapon, the character has never actually been added as a skin. He'll be available in the store at some point during Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, hopefully alongside his purple lightsaber as a harvesting tool (we'll see).
That's no moon
If you drop into Fortnite now, as I just did, you'll spot a new addition to the skyline. The Death Star can be seen in the distance, signaling the arrival of the Empire and First Order.
Grab a free Star Wars skin before the new Season begins
You can now connect your Epic and MyDisney accounts to earn a First Order Stormtrooper outfit to use in Fortnite. Follow these steps to do so:
- Sign into your Epic account. (You can do this from epicgames.com/id/login.)
- On your Account page, go to Apps and Accounts. (If you’re already signed in, go straight to Apps and Accounts!)
- Click “Connect” on the MyDisney Account option. You’ll be directed to the MyDisney website to continue the process. Not able to connect? Find more information on eligibility.
- Runs until August 31, 2025
The new Battle Pass skins have been shown off
So far, Epic Games has shown off five confirmed Battle Pass skins for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3. Poe Dameron, Wookie Team Leader, Resistance Evie, Emperor Palpatine, and General Grievous will all be up for grabs. As in previous seasons, I'm betting on there being variants for each too, perhaps a Clone Wars-style for Grievous? One can hope.
So, Fortnite Galactic Battle?
✔️ Star Wars Themed Battle Pass ✔️ Weekly Gameplay Content ✔️ Culminating in a Live End of Season Narrative Event ➡️ Fortnite Galactic Battle arrives May 2, 2025 pic.twitter.com/JmRStRA2UmApril 20, 2025
Fortnite Galactic Battle is the next season of Fortnite, and it's entirely themed around Star Wars. From the looks of things, this will be a shorter season, with weekly narrative updates that culminate in a live finale.
When does the current season end?
The current season of Fortnite is set to end tomorrow (May 2) at 2AM ET / 7AM BST, and 11 PM for PT (May 1). At this point, the game will move offline for scheduled downtime. At present, there’s no info on how long downtime will be, but it's worth noting that last season's switch over took five hours. Hopefully it'll be a little shorter this time.
And we're live!
Hello and welcome to my live coverage of the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch. We’re now on the eve of release day, and there’s still plenty we don’t know about the imminent Star Wars-centric season. First off, let’s cover what we do know.