Yes, Star Wars has returned to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and on the same day it hit theaters, it landed in two Disney Parks — Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and Disney World in Orlando, FL.

Disney Imagineering and Disney Experiences used the new film — and the fact it was made with the help of Unreal Engine — to rethink and retheme Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. It's now really, really fun, even after more than a dozen rides, and the addition of The Mandalorian and the irresistibly adorable Grogu gives the attraction a shot of energy it genuinely needed.

It's not a one-to-one adaptation of the film, and it didn't require any physical updates to the Falcon itself or the attraction queues. You'll still board the Millennium Falcon and join The Mandalorian and Grogu for a mission — the three roles of pilot, gunner, and engineer remain — but the engineer role has been completely overhauled and is no longer the least exciting seat in the cockpit.

That's because the engineer now picks the planet; Bespin, Endor, or Coruscant — three distinct environments, and guests actually choose where they're going. That variability was the central goal of the entire rethink, according to Morgan McDowell, a senior software project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering.

"We now have three different planets that our guests can fly to and fly through, and all the different variability within the planets that they go to," McDowell said. "It's more like a traditional video game — if I want to go right, I can go right. If I want to go left, I go left."

All three roles still have a variety of buttons and controls to interact with. Pilots get a noticeably smoother experience and the chance to make the jump to lightspeed. Gunners have a critical role in collecting the bounty, with blaster fire that now visibly tracks targets.

But the engineer is the one driving the planet selection and gets near-constant access to Grogu throughout the ride — there's a dedicated button that triggers cutscenes with the character, and taking care of Grogu is woven into the mission from start to finish.

The view outside the cockpit has been upgraded too. It runs at 4K, 60 frames per second — an improvement over the original — and across all three environments it's smooth and vibrant, with none of the jitter or visual inconsistency that can break immersion in a motion simulator. A big part of making that possible is the move to Unreal Engine 5, new show game computers, and all-new Nvidia GPUs powering the attraction.

What makes the technical setup particularly interesting is that Disney Imagineering doesn't run Unreal the way you would at home. Unreal Engine is typically designed to run on a single GPU — but this attraction demands far more than that.

So Imagineering built their own custom version of Unreal Engine capable of running across multiple GPUs simultaneously, which is what allows the attraction to render everything in real time: the main screen, the individual position screens, the lighting package, the audio, and up to six inputs at once during a four-to-five minute ride. That's a tall order.

"We're running all-new Nvidia GPUs powering the graphics, as well as powering the new video game running on Unreal Engine 5," McDowell explained. She wouldn't share the specific GPU model or configuration, but confirmed it's a highly custom setup — and that Disney's version of Unreal, currently tracking alongside the publicly released 5.7 and 5.8 builds, is meaningfully different from what's available off the shelf.

"I think I have some of the smartest people on my team who own and innovate and update our build of the Unreal Engine, and that unlocks so many different things that we're able to do that Unreal offers, but then we can do it in a multi-GPU setting," she said.

The Lucasfilm partnership was central to making the day-and-date launch work. McDowell described teams from both sides working through the Florida install together around the clock, riding the attraction, flagging issues, and iterating on builds in real time.

"We had a lot of our Lucasfilm partners, or their QA lead, out here working with us day and night — getting the new builds on the new hardware in the attraction, and then actually running the game with them, and them doing tweaks, and us doing tweaks all together," she said.

The result is an attraction that feels genuinely fresh. The random events spread across three planets, the role-specific interactions, and the Grogu moments give it a choose-your-own-adventure quality that holds up across multiple rides in a way the original never quite managed. There are also secret modes to unlock, including a Grogu-specific one, and easter eggs that vary depending on which planet you visit and which path you take through it. There's even a trench run moment that, for what it's worth, had me thinking back to flying a Lego X-Wing on the Sphere in Las Vegas — high praise for a theme park ride.

While Rise of the Resistance had arguably eclipsed Smugglers Run as the centerpiece Star Wars experience at both parks, The Mandalorian and Grogu update doesn't just close that gap — it reframes what the attraction is. Less a set-piece ride, more a chance to live your own Star Wars story differently every time you board.

More broadly, rolling out a real-time video game experience across two parks on the same day a film releases speaks to what Unreal Engine is making possible for Disney Imagineering — and how quickly that capability is moving. Smugglers Run isn't even the only attraction running it — Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom is already powered by Unreal — and it's clear Imagineering is thinking about where it goes next.

"We are always looking at the new features that are coming, and we do work with Epic on upcoming things," McDowell said, "and we start to think of how we can use that technology to bring the best guest experience in our parks."

We're just a few weeks away from the Toy Story franchise returning to the big screen with Toy Story 5, but in the lead-up, Disney has been quietly upgrading one of its most iconic attractions themed after one of the main characters at Walt Disney World.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is a Magic Kingdom staple in Orlando, Florida — a classic interactive dark ride where guests board a rotating vehicle, pick up a blaster, and try to rack up points by hitting targets while helping Buzz Lightyear and Star Command defeat Zurg.

"We tried to keep the soul and old charm of the original attraction, but level it up and plus it up where we could."

That's how Evan Klein, a Software Developer Lead at Walt Disney Imagineering, describes the approach behind the major refurbishment that has now fully reopened. It's a useful lens for what has changed here: not a reinvention of the ride, but a deep modernization of how it works under the hood in pursuit of a more fun, compelling ride.

Spoiler: there's a lot of tech being used here. New haptics inside entirely redesigned blasters, upgraded tracking systems, and onboard computers.

At its core, the biggest shift in Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin isn't visual — it's interactive. The attraction has always been a competitive shooter-style ride, but the new version is built to be far more responsive and dynamic in how it reacts to guests in real time.

That starts with the new blasters, which are no longer fixed to the ride vehicle but can be lifted and aimed freely. They vibrate with haptics and play audio feedback to confirm when you've made contact with a target — changes that make the moment-to-moment gameplay feel far more immediate.

The more significant shift is in what you're actually shooting at. Targets are no longer static props. They light up, change color, and carry dynamic point values that shift throughout the ride — effectively turning the attraction into something closer to a real-time game than a traditional dark ride.

Klein says that was the fundamental design goal. "The dynamic nature of the targets is the biggest leap," he explains. "Before, this was a very static attraction. None of the targets necessarily reacted. It was difficult to see where you're aiming and what you were actually hitting."

Now, targets encourage guests to scan the full environment rather than fixate on a single high-value spot. "With these targets that light up with different colors and have different dynamic scoring, it really encourages the guest to look around," noted Klein.

He's quick to note that the underlying technology philosophy was "innovation versus invention" — taking tried-and-true technology and deploying it thoughtfully. "A lot of what was done here is taking the best of all the different Buzz Lightyear attractions around the world, and some other attractions too, and trying to blend them into something that kept the soul of the original, but leveled it up where we could."

The most technically surprising aspect of the refurbishment isn't something guests will see — it's what's running beneath the surface, powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine.

"Each ride vehicle actually hosts Unreal Engine for the score content that you see," Klein explains. The dynamic score screens showing your rank and progression to the next tier aren't pulling from a static asset library. Each vehicle runs two independent Unreal deployments — one per player, as each car seats two — generating that content locally in real time.

It's a notably different application of game engine technology than what Disney typically uses in major attractions. "This is a really interesting way to use the technology in an embedded context," Klein says, separating it from larger projection-based systems like what's used on Millennium Falcon, which itself will be upgraded on May 22 with new elements themed to The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Beyond the vehicles, every target and all the scoring systems across the attraction are networked together. Klein notes that over 200 machines are managed daily to keep everything synchronized and consistent. The result is a ride that behaves less like a single attraction and more like a distributed computing system.

The same engine also played a central role in the creative process — particularly in collaborating with Pixar on the ride's projected media, most notably in a hyperspace tunnel scene, which is likely my favorite addition.

"We were able to work with Pixar to develop the full attraction in a pre-visualization virtual environment," Klein explains. For the Hyperspace scene in particular, Pixar's media drafts were loaded directly into the simulation, allowing Imagineering’s Creative Director to walk through the space in virtual reality and evaluate how the media read from different angles inside the physical room.

That mattered because the projection space is unusually shaped. "The room is oddly shaped, and so there was a unique challenge in making sure the media actually read well from all different angles and perspectives from the ride vehicle," Klein says.

The same environment was used to test motion profiles for new figures, including a new animatronic named Buddy, and to evaluate how scenes would read from a moving vehicle at real ride speed.

It's a genuinely impressive use of the technology — not just as a tool for remote collaboration across coasts, but as a shared reference point that lets different teams weigh in at every stage of the process. Especially useful for a ride like this that had teams from Walt Disney Imagineering and Pixar Animation Studios working together.

What emerges is a version of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin that still feels familiar on the surface but operates fundamentally differently. The layout, the story, the vehicles — all preserved.

Klein's own personal best on the attraction sits at 20.1 million points — a score he'll tell you required more than 100 rides and a few fortunate slowdowns to achieve.

For Disney Imagineering, the refurbishment is another step toward treating physical attractions less like static environments and more like evolving, software-driven systems that push immersion for guests to infinity and beyond.

Or as Klein puts it: taking something beloved and "leveling it up and just plussing it up where we could."

• Fortnite's Star Wars Day celebrations have officially begun
• Three new game modes made by Epic and Lucasfilm have been added, alongside hundreds more made by creators
• New Star Wars cosmetics and events will be released throughout May

Epic Games has released the roadmap for its month-long Fortnite x Star Wars Day celebrations, which includes a "galaxy of new Star Wars games" and more to keep fans busy.

While Star Wars Das officially begins on May 4, three new game modes made by Epic and Lucasfilm, along with hundreds of islands made by creators using the official Star Wars toolkit, are available in Fortnite as of today.

"After years of creating Star Wars experiences with Disney and Lucasfilm, we gave Star Wars’ heroes, worlds and assets to Fortnite creators so they could build the experiences they’ve always dreamed of playing. It’s now possible to create a limitless variety of games in the Star Wars universe that anyone in Fortnite can play," said Adam Sussman, president of Epic Games.

The three designed by Epic and Lucasfilm are Galactic Siege, a Battlefront-like mode featuring large-scale, PvP class-based battles with 10v10 combat across iconic Star Wars planets.

Then there's Escape Vader, a four-player co-op game where you need to hide, run, and survive against Darth Vader, and lastly Droid Tycoon, where players build and customize droids using authentic Star Wars blueprints, manage their workshop and factory systems, and unlock rare components and special missions.

"Interactive entertainment is rapidly becoming one of the defining forces in how audiences experience stories, and Disney is fully embracing that evolution," added Sean Shoptaw, executive VP of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment. "Games offer a uniquely powerful way to deepen engagement, expand our worlds, and connect with fans in real time. As this space continues to grow, we see extraordinary potential to elevate Disney storytelling in ways that are innovative, social, and built for the way people play today."

With the release of these modes also comes new Star Wars Quests, with more to come every week in May, all offering free rewards upon completion.

New The Clone Wars skins and accessories for Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker have also arrived in the Item Shop today, along with the return of more Star Wars Outfits, and players can unlock a free Carbonite Fishstick Back Bling for linking their account to MyDisney.

On May 14, Lego Fortnite Odyssey will get its own Star Wars update with a new Hover Bricker, hover vehicles, the Mandalorian and Grogu, and Star Wars enemies.

Additionally, on May 19, players can log in and join the The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island to see a special message from creator Jon Favreau and get a 10-minute sneak peek of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu ahead of the theatrical release on May 22.

However, players must first collect bounties and defend the city against waves of enemies, find Grogu, and spend 20 minutes exploring Nevarro to unlock the exclusive Mandalorian Sanctuary loading screen.

Finally, on May 26, players can visit the island’s amphitheatre to watch a Q&A with Favreau about the film and making of The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island.

• Fortnite developer Epic Games is laying off more than 1,000 employees
• This was confirmed by a memo sent to staff written by CEO Tim Sweeney
• "I'm sorry we're here again," Sweeney wrote.

Fortnite developer Epic Games has announced that it will lay off more than 1,000 employees.

A memo written by founder and CEO Tim Sweeney sent out to staff confirmed that the developer will be cutting more than 1,000 jobs. "I'm sorry we're here again," he wrote.

He blamed a "downturn in Fortnite engagement" for the decision and said that the company was now spending "significantly more" than it was bringing in.

Wider economic factors like the gaming industry's recent slower growth and the weaker uptake of current generation consoles, in addition to stiff competition from other forms of entertainment, were also fingered as causes. Interestingly, Sweeney does specifically clarify that the layoff isn't "related to AI" as some might fear, and said that the company wants to "have as many awesome developers" as it can.

It comes alongside $500 million worth of identified cost savings, focusing on contracting, marketing, and the closing of open roles.

This news comes just weeks after Epic Games announced that it would be raising the cost of the Fortnite in-game currency V-Bucks in order "help pay the bills". The new prices came into effect on March 19, 2026, and mean that a standard $8.99 purchase grants just 800 V-Bucks rather than the previous 1,000.

"The cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot," the company noted in its blog post at the time.

• A new Fortnite Unreal Editor update has been released
• The update adds all-new Star Wars-inspired assets and tools
• Creators can design their own Star Wars islands and publish them from May 1

Epic Games has released a huge Fortnite Unreal Editor update that lets players create their own Star Wars islands.

As of today, Fortnite developers can access a curated collection of assets and tools from Epic Games' "largest IP toolset to date" and build Star Wars-inspired maps in Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and Fortnite Creative.

The toolset includes all-new Star Wars templates and gameplay features, which also means players get access to all available Star Wars characters, like Luke Skywalker, Rey, Princess Leia, and The Mandalorian's Din Djarin, several locations, licensed music, vehicles, and 25 weapons from past Fortnite Battle Royale seasons.

The trailer demonstrates just how creative fans can get, and it looks like you can even go as far as creating a worthy Star Wars Battlefront 2 successor if you know what you're doing.

Four UEFN starter islands are currently available to start with, including the planets Hoth, Tatooine, and Nevarro. Two new Star Wars flat grid islands are also available for Fortnite Creative.

"Bring your island to the next level with Niagara-powered visual effects, making it easier to create large-scale moments from dogfights in asteroid fields to dramatic hyperspace entrance and exit sequences," Epic said.

Developers can also expand environments by adding iconic Star Wars locations, like the Death Star, Tatooine Cantina, and Resistance Base, and use background assets like a Star Destroyer to add scale to their scenes.

You can also customize lightsabers with Scene Graph and access Force powers for gameplay abilities like Push, Heal, and Mind Trick by using a special crafting workbench where players can modify their characters’ Force powers, as well as the appearance of their lightsabers.

There are also Team Conquest and narrative roleplaying templates to try out before building your own island.

Although the tools are available now, creators won't be able to publish their designs until May 1. Until then, Epic Games will continue to introduce more functionality to the toolkit, including first-person support for weapons and custom items and inventories in Beta.

• Epic Games is increasing the price of all Fortnite V-Bucks Packs
• From March 19, a standard $8.99 Pack will now give 800 instead of 1000 V-Bucks
• The V-Bucks featured in the Battle Bundle and Fortnite Crew will also be lowered

Epic Games has announced that it will be raising the prices of Fortnite's V-Bucks this month.

Starting from March 19, the company said it will be offering fewer V-Bucks per Pack, meaning in a standard $8.99 Pack, you'll now receive 800 V-Bucks instead of 1000 V-Bucks. The full V-Buck Pack changes can be viewed below.

"The cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot, and we're raising prices to help pay the bills," Epic Games said in a blog post.

Fortnite's Battle Pass will also now cost 800 V-Bucks instead of 1000 V-Bucks, and will now award 800 instead of 1000. The additional 500 V-Bucks in Bonus Rewards are also being dropped from the new system.

"You can earn 800 V-Bucks when completing the Battle Pass, which is enough to get the next one. There are no longer V-Bucks in the Bonus Rewards of the Pass," Epic explained.

Additionally, Fortnite's Battle Bundle, which includes the Battle Pass and the first 25 levels of the pass already unlocked, is going down from 2,800 to 2,600 V-Bucks.

Fortnite Crew, the monthly subscription service which is now included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, is also lowering its V-Bucks rewards from 1,000 to 800 V-Bucks.

Like the main Battle Pass, the OG Pass, the Music Pass, and the Lego Pass are also seeing changes:

• The OG Pass will cost 800 V-Bucks (previously 1,000). 
• The Music Pass will cost 1,200 V-Bucks (previously 1,400).
• The LEGO Pass will cost 1,200 V-Bucks (previously 1,400).

Fortnite players aren't too excited about this change, because although the general price of the Packs isn't increasing with real-world money, their value is.

"Bro changing the battle pass vbucks amount from 1500 to 800 is literally game breaking. This season was already kinda bad but now I’m just uninstalling," one player said on Reddit, while another announced they were "Cancelling my crew tonight. Good job Epic!,"

Another criticised the way Epic announced the news, saying, "'The cost of running Fortnite has gone up a lot, and we’re raising prices to help pay the bills'. Such a crazy way to deliver that news. I mean at least attempt to sugarcoat it."

Last month, Epic Games announced that PC players spent $1.16 billion on the Epic Games Store, up 6% year over year, while Statista reports that the company generated an estimated $6.21 billion in gross revenue in 2025 compared to $5.81 billion the previous year.

• Epic Games has tweeted a teaser for an upcoming collaboration with The Office
• Official details are currently scarce, but rumors point to the update arriving soon
• Chapter 7 continues on, with South Park being the latest major collaboration

Epic Games has teased a Fortnite collaboration with The Office, sharing an image with the words "Builds. Beets. Battle Royale." – a reference to a quote from the show.

The latest teaser was posted on X (see below), showing a picture of some beets. This is a nod to Dwight Schrute from The Office, who is a beet farmer in the show. While we're yet to hear more on a potential The Office crossover from Epic Games officially, there have been some rumors circulating amongst popular Fortnite leakers.

Fortnite leaker @ShiinaBR recently shared a leak suggesting that The Office, Space Jam, and other tie-ins were planned for release in Chapter 7. So far, Epic Games has seemingly confirmed The Office via the aforementioned teaser. We're yet to hear anything about the other leaks, which also include Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1: Pacific Break is currently underway. For all the latest updates, including the release date for the next season, be sure to check out our Fortnite Chapter 7 guide.

• South Park is coming to Fortnite on January 9 with a free mini pass
• The crossover will introduce Outfits for Cartman, Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Butters
• Players can also enjoy a brand new 5-person playlist called Quints until February 5

Epic Games has revealed that its next Fortnite crossover will be with the popular animated TV series South Park.

Although the collaboration was leaked ahead of time, the latest Born in Chaos trailer confirms that South Park's Cartman, Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Butters will be headed to Fortnite and the new Cartmanland on January 9.

In addition to these new additions to the Item Shop, players will also be rewarded with free items from the free Born in Chaos mini pass, as well as take part in a limited-time 5-person playlist called Quints, which will conclude on February 5.

This is a first for Fortnite, allowing teams of five to queue up together in Battle Royale or Zero Build in games consisting of 20 teams per match.

The South Park ensemble won't just be joining the battle as themselves, though. As showcased in the trailer, Butters, dressed in his Professor Chaos costume, uses the Stick of Truth to turn the South Park school bus into a Fortnite Battle Bus.

Butters, Cartman, and the rest of the gang are then revealed to be donning personal mech suits that will give the little guys a fairer advantage in matches to come.

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1: Pacific Break is currently underway. For all the latest updates, including the release date for the next season, be sure to check out our Fortnite Chapter 7 guide.

Capcom's long-awaited ninth instalment in the beloved action horror franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, is almost here, launching on February 27, 2026. The wait feels like it's been an eternity, as most of its marketing has been very secretive, with the big Leon S. Kennedy reveal at The Game Awards 2025 clearly being what Capcom was so adamant to hide.

In case you missed it, both Grace Ashcroft and series veteran Leon S. Kennedy will feature as duo protagonists, as many had speculated, sharing the same amount of screen time. It means Capcom is aiming to blend horror and action once again, and that suggests one major thing to me.

Without sugarcoating it, I think Resident Evil Requiem is on the verge of being the best game in the franchise, even surpassing Resident Evil 4. Yes, I know, that's a massive statement, as both the original and remake are essentially my favorite games of all time, but there are valid reasons.

The original 2005 title strikes a perfect balance between action and horror in such a manner that I don't think any other action-horror game (or franchise) has been able to capture, and the remake took that motif to another level entirely.

Based on what Capcom has shown and promised regarding Requiem's horror and action segments, it has the potential to leap to the number one spot in the franchise if certain elements are executed well.

A blend of RE2 and RE4's gameplay sounds phenomenal

I'm sure many fans will agree that the Resident Evil 2 Remake is one of the best titles the series has had to offer when it comes to horror, just behind Resident Evil 7.

Many would argue that this epithet is held by the Resident Evil 1 remake, but (hot take incoming) I'm not a fan of this title, and I'm very much hoping it can be redone again in the RE Engine in a third-person perspective, but that's beside the point.

Director of Requiem, Koshi Nakanishi, has highlighted how Grace Ashcroft's gameplay segments will feel very much like Resident Evil 2, where players will be left fighting for their lives on the edge of their seats, as Grace's vulnerability and unfamiliarity with an outbreak are poised to introduce some truly terrifying sequences for both the character and player.

We've already seen a strong example of this with the first gameplay reveal, as the old hag or 'Big Mama' (as most people refer to her) stalks Grace through a chronic care center, before being saved by Leon, as recently revealed. It's not like action will be completely absent from Grace's segments either, so there's an element of combat to be explored for her character as well.

With Nakanishi stating that Leon's gameplay is built on the foundation of the Resident Evil 4 remake, it tells me that Capcom is aiming for Requiem to surpass the beloved 2005 and 2023 titles, with some of the best horror and action in the series working simultaneously.

Leon is supposedly at his peak in this brand new title and will be pushed to his limits more than ever before. I'm afraid of what the latter means (I don't want our favorite hero boy to die), but Kennedy at his peak and the descriptions of 'martial arts' and 'melee moves' in Requiem indicate we'll be seeing the most expansive and creative combat system yet.

It's not just elements from RE2 and RE4 that will make it great

There's clearly still plenty more to what Requiem has to offer; the addition of Leon's axe seems to be a knife replacement from what we experienced in the Resident Evil 4 remake, and it seems like we could also be seeing a dynamic weapon 'stealing' system, with the trailer showcasing Leon getting his chance to use an enemy's chainsaw on them.

The collaboration with Porsche doesn't seem like it's just set for cutscenes either. I'm fully expecting players to get multiple opportunities to drive around Raccoon City and other locales we haven't seen yet in Requiem, similar to the short boat traversal section in RE4.

Grace is also introducing something new to the table entirely; in the franchise's mainline titles, we've never seen a character as afraid as Grace clearly is in Requiem, at least at the start, with Nakanishi describing her as a 'scaredy cat', before eventually growing in courage as the story progresses.

It will be very interesting to see how our new 'rookie' (in terms of combat experience with monstrous enemies), Grace, will interact with an older and seasoned Leon S. Kennedy, who has fought numerous deadly enemies, and how the juxtaposition of horror and action will impact the overall experience.

From what I've seen so far, it's shaping up to be Capcom's best work in the franchise, and a near-perfect celebration on its 30th anniversary. Let's just hope it's executed well.

Fortnite Winterfest 2025 skins are here, adding Hogwarts-themed Outfits to the Item Shop, and free Holiday skins to the Fortnite Winterfest Cabin. There a paid-for items, as well as free rewards to claim, and new skins will be added over time.

As Winterfest 2025 arrives in Fortnite, there are new snowy areas on the map. Players can log into the Winterfest Cabin each day, too, to open presents and claim rewards. This Holiday update gives us plenty to round out the year, before the next season of Fortnite arrives in 2026.

Here's the Fortnite Winterfest 2025 skins released so far, as well as a breakdown of how to get each one. Some are paid-for items, so I'll list the cost in V-Bucks for each.

Fortnite Winterfest 2025 skins

The Fortnite Winterfest 2025 skins can be found in the list below:

• Celebration of Hogwarts: Bundle (3200), Dynamic Dreamer (1500), Hallway Hero (1500), Radiant Rebel (1500), Creature Caretaker (1500), Story Seeker (1500), Mischief Maker (1500), Prank Prodigy (1500), Fearless Friend (1500), Audacious Adventurer (1500), Knowledge Keeper (1500)
• The Winterfest Bandit (800)
• Blinky (1200)
• Glimmer (2000)
• Snowdancer (1200)
• Froststorm Bomber (800)
• Glacial Dummy (free Cabin reward)
• Cheeks (free Cabin reward)

Fortnite Winterfest Harry Potter skins

Fortnite Harry Potter Winterfest skins are here. There are ten different base skins to choose from, and from there they can be customized with each house: Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. There's also a Celebration of Hogwarts Bundle, which gives you all ten skins, as well as the Snowy Owl Back Bling, the Firebolt Pickaxe, and the Peppermint Imps Emote.

Fortnite Winterfest free skins

There are two free skins to claim as part of Fortnite Winterfest 2025. This includes the Glacial Dummy, which is unlocked after you've opened seven presents in the cabin, and then the Cheeks Outfit, which is rewarded after you've opened 13 presents. You can see both of these skins in the image above.

Will there be more Fortnite Winterfest skins?

New Fortnite Winterfest skins will arrive over time, and we already know that Hatsune Miku, and a Christmas Sabrina Carpenter skin will be released soon. Unfortunately, release dates for upcoming skins haven't yet been announced. I'd expect new skins to line up with the weekly updates, so December 19 and then December 26.

Fortnite Winterfest is well underway, and there's still time to claim free rewards via the cabin. It'll all be over soon, however, so here's when the Winterfest event ends.

Players are currently working their way through Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1, which shook up the map and many of the game's core systems. While we all wait for the next Season of Fortnite, there are the Winterfest celebrations to tide us over for the next few days. With huge updates like these, it's no wonder that Fortnite continues to rank highly in our best crossplay games list.

Here's the Fortnite Winterfest end date, and everything announced so far for the remainder of the event. As new info is revealed, I'll update this page.

Fortnite Winterfest end date

Fortnite Winterfest ends January 5, 2026 at the times below:

• East Coast (United States): 9AM ET
• West Coast (United States): 6AM PT
• United Kingdom: 2PM GMT

Fortnite Winterfest 2025 start time

Fortnite Winterfest 2025 launched on December 18, 2025 at the times below:

• East Coast (United States): 9AM ET
• West Coast (United States): 6AM PT
• United Kingdom: 2PM GMT

Fortnite Winterfest cabin release time

The Fortnite Winterfest Cabin launched on December 18 at 9AM ET / 6AM PT / 2PM GMT.

Fortnite Winterfest rewards

There are 14 rewards to claim as part of Fortnite Winterfest this year. These include four harvesting tools, two Back Blings, one Glider, a weapon wrap, four stickers, a trail, and a Jam Track. You can see these in the image above.

What is Fortnite Winterfest?

Fortnite Winterfest is an annual event themed around the Holiday season. For the past few years, there's been an interactive Advent calendar, where players could open presents each day, containing festive-themed cosmetics. These have ranged from loading screens to harvesting tools and skins.

In the Tweet embedded below, you'll see a Holiday postcard, with some characters gathered outside a cabin. You can see Harry Potter characters, Sabrina Carpenter, Hatsune Miku, and then original characters like Jonesy and Fishstick.

• Kim Kardashian is the latest Fortnite Icon
• The entrepreneur/reality TV star will arrive in the Item Shop on December 13
• Players can compete in an Icon Cup on December 12 to unlock the skin early

Fortnite Kim Kardashian skins are on the way, as the reality TV megastar and entrepreneur has been revealed as the latest Fortnite Icon. There are two Outfits to unlock, each with a bunch of variants.

You'll be able to purchase the Kim Kardashian Outfit and the Iconic Kim Kardashian Outfit in the Item Shop on December 13 at 4PM PT / 7PM ET and 12AM GMT (December 14). There are additional accessories as well, like a private jet Glider, a Back Bling filled with cosmetics, and a ring light.

If you want to unlock the Iconic Kim Kardashian Outfit early, you can take part in the latest Fortnite competitive Icon Cup. Players can unlock the new skin as a reward for participating.

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1 is now underway. It's a Hollywood-themed affair, with nods to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle as well. Kill Bill has been the main tie-in so far, but there are also Back to the Future skins to be earned via the new Battle Pass. It'll be a while until the next season of Fortnite, but luckily, there's plenty to tide fans over in the meantime.

• Fortnite OG will return on December 11 with Chapter 1 Season 7
• The retro battle royale mode will bring back the overpowered Infinity Blade
• The update will also include new map changes and a new loot pool

Epic Games has confirmed that the overpowered Infinity Blade will return in Fortnite OG this week.

Players will once again be able to jump into Fortnite OG, a nostalgic mode based on the game's original battle royale, when it makes its return in Chapter 1 Season 7 on December 11.

In a new social media post, Epic teased the upcoming update with a look at what to expect, including map updates that feature Polar Peak, Happy Hamlet, and Frosty Flights, a new Christmas-themed OG Battle Pass, new gliders, and loot pool items.

What's got players most excited, however, is the confirmation that the Infinity Blade will arrive "later in the season," after seven years. It's a Mythic weapon that spawns once each match and gives the wielder special bonuses to their movement and health.

It's a controversial weapon, mainly due to its stats (via Fortnite Wiki) that offer 200 Health and 200 Shields for a total of 400 HP, as well as its ability to grant 1 Effective HP per second and 50 Effective HP after eliminating an opponent.

It also boosts the player's movement speed significantly and has a wide attack radius that deals 75 damage per hit. Overall, it's a pretty overpowered weapon that is sure to help you secure a Victory Royale.

Epic hasn't revealed whether it has nerfed the Infinity Blade for the upcoming season, but if not, players will once again be able to wreak havoc.

In the meantime, Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1: Pacific Break is officially underway. You can check out our Fortnite Chapter 7 guide for upcoming updates and what to expect from the current Chapter 7 season, including map changes, new skins, and more.

• Steam currently requires developers to disclose any use of generative AI in their games
• Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wants Steam to stop labeling games that use AI
• Critics argue that removing AI tags would reduce transparency for players who care how games are made

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is calling on video game storefronts like Steam to ditch their “Made with AI” tags, arguing they’re outdated before they’ve even finished rolling out.

“AI will be involved in nearly all future production,” he wrote in a post on X, insisting that labeling games that use it is pointless. “It makes no sense.” Steam, for now, disagrees.

Valve’s popular digital storefront introduced a policy earlier this year requiring developers to disclose if generative AI was used in the making of a game. That might be in the writing, artwork, code, or anything else. The goal is to let players know what they’re downloading. That’s the part Sweeney takes issue with, suggesting that flagging AI in 2025 is like putting a warning sticker on games that use 3D graphics or autocomplete in code.

But it turns out people do care. And not just in an abstract way. For an increasing number of players, developers, and digital storefronts, knowing how a game was made, especially in a world awash with generative AI tools, is part of the purchase decision. And what Sweeney sees as inevitable, others see as the start of a much bigger problem: games full of outsourced, flavorless, AI-slop.

It's important to say that few object to a developer using autocomplete while writing code. AI coding assistance is practically standard now. But generative art, AI-written dialogue, and AI-composited trailers are where the conversation gets tricky.

To the average player scrolling through Steam’s indie section, this isn’t hypothetical. You'll see plenty of generative AI assets, often poorly vetted ones like character portraits with too many fingers or dialogue trees written like Wikipedia entries.

Steam’s Next Fest this year had multiple games built almost entirely out of AI-generated content, and players noticed. Some studios were called out for recycling the same image prompts or slapping together assets with no real design cohesion.

AI gaming

To Sweeney’s credit, he’s thinking about small developers. “I just hate to see Valve confiscate ever more opportunity from small developers,” he wrote in a follow-up post, arguing that AI tags stigmatize indie games that use the tools ethically.

That’s a fair concern. Nobody wants a world where one-person studios are penalized for using Midjourney to sketch out background art or ChatGPT to brainstorm quest descriptions. But the reverse is also true: players don’t want to feel tricked into buying games that outsourced all their creative soul to a neural net.

The broader concern here isn’t about AI, it’s about trust. Steam’s disclosure policy gives players the option to care. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re just looking for a chill deck-builder or another farming sim to unwind with. But if someone does care, because they’re an artist, they’ve had their work scraped, or they just want to support fully human-made work, then the AI tag is valid. It’s not a scarlet letter. It’s a filter.

Sweeney’s proposal to eliminate AI tags entirely would leave players guessing. It would also remove a key mechanism for accountability. If a developer releases a game with AI-generated assets, the current policy says: just say so. That’s not censorship. That’s information.

After all, not all AI content is created equal. A developer who uses AI to brainstorm mechanics and then spends six months refining them by hand is in a different category than one who tells a text-to-game engine to “make a vampire dating sim” and publishes whatever comes out. And while the “Made with AI” tag doesn’t explain that nuance, it opens the door to asking.

• Fortnite Zero Hour is scheduled to kick off this weekend on November 29
• The live event will close out Chapter 6 and will be followed by the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's unfilmed Kill Bill short
• The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge premieres in Fortnite on November 30

Epic Games has shared new details ahead of Fortnite's exciting weekend of events, which kick off with the Chapter 6 grand finale, followed by the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's unfilmed Kill Bill short.

Fortnite Zero Hour, the game's biggest event of the year, will officially close out Chapter 6. This live spectacle begins on Saturday, November 29, at 2PM ET / 11AM PT / 7PM GMT, and players can prepare by loading into the game up to 30 minutes beforehand.

In this event, legends assemble to save reality from the Dark Presence, and fans can look forward to many pop culture figures to appear, including Godzilla and King Kong, a giant Homer Simpson, Star Wars, Kill Bill's Beatrix Kiddo, and many more that will be revealed at the time.

The following day, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge premieres exclusively in Fortnite on Sunday, November 30 at 2PM ET / 2PM ET / 11AM PT / 7PM GMT. Like Zero Hour, doors open 30 minutes before the show starts.

Yuki's Revenge is a cut chapter that never made it into Tarantino's Kill Bill, and now, 20 years later, the story has been reimagined in Fortnite.

Starring Uma Thurman as The Bride once again, and built with Unreal Engine and Fortnite character models, the animated tale follows Yuki Yubari, who travels to the US to take down The Bride for killing her sister Gogo Yubari in the movie.

"Quentin Tarantino had a dream of a Kill Bill chapter that never made it to the silver screen, a chapter known as 'Yuki’s Revenge.' Over 20 years later, Tarantino and Epic have come together to bring the story to life in Fortnite," Epic Games teased.

The teaser trailer for 'Yuki's Revenge', which looks chaotic, to say the least, also confirms that players can claim the Yuki Outfit by logging into Fortnite from November 27 to December 9.

For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 7, including map changes, new skins, and upcoming updates.

• Epic Games CEO says ‘nearly all’ future games will be made using AI
• That means Steam using AI tags ‘makes no sense,’ Sweeney says
• AI use in game development has been a divisive issue in recent times

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is well-known for his occasionally controversial stances, and the gaming chief has waded into the spotlight again with a comment on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in gaming – and not everyone will be pleased.

Sweeney was replying to a comment on X saying that “Steam and all digital marketplaces need to drop the “Made with AI” label. It doesn’t matter any more.”

In response, Sweeney concurred with the comment: “Agreed. The AI tag is relevant to art exhibits for authorship disclosure, and to digital content licensing marketplaces where buyers need to understand the rights situation. It makes no sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in nearly all future production.”

Epic Games takes a notably different approach to rival online game storefront Steam on this point. Disclosures surrounding the use of AI in games development are not displayed in Epic’s online store. On Steam, they’re shown prominently, allowing customers to see whether artificial intelligence has been used in the creation of the game.

On the Steam page for the popular ARC Raiders game, for instance, Steam displays the following: “The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this: During the development process, we may use procedural- and AI-based tools to assist with content creation. In all such cases, the final product reflects the creativity and expression of our own development team.” That statement is nowhere to be found on Epic Games’ online store, however.

Analysis: A thorny issue

Sweeney’s comments might strike a chord (positive or negative) with gamers, and AI’s role in game development has been a hot topic in recent times. ARC Raiders came in for much criticism for its use of AI-generated vocal lines, which critics said could encourage more developers to take jobs away from human creators.

The matter that Sweeney was discussing – the “rights situation” – is particularly pertinent in gaming, where it can be unclear whether AI-generated content has infringed upon the rights of whoever created the elements that the AI was trained on. But Sweeney seems to be arguing that this is not a relevant concern in the gaming sphere, since “AI will be involved in nearly all future production” anyway.

Whether he’s right or wrong, plenty of games studios are either considering using AI during production or are already actively doing so. Yet there are many developers that have taken the opposite stance and have ruled out employing AI tools in their titles.

This is clearly still a thorny issue in the industry, and with different retailers and developers taking different approaches, it’s unlikely to be solved any time soon.

A Fortnite Chapter finale live event called Zero Hour has been revealed. It'll lead into Chapter 7, and the teaser trailer shows a huge gathering of some of the most iconic tie-ins Fortnite has ever seen.

We're nearing the end of Fortnite Chapter 6, with The Simpsons set to round out the final season. So far, Epic Games has revealed a fair bit about Chapter 7, and the Zero Hour event that'll lead into it. There's a trailer, and some excellent teases on what players can expect from the finale's epic showdown. It's regular live switchovers like these that have kept Fortnite ranked highly on our list of the best crossplay games to play in 2025.

Here's the Fortnite Zero Hour live event start date and time, as well as info on when to join early to make sure you get in this weekend. As new details on the finale are shared, I'll be sure to update this page.

Fortnite Zero Hour live event start date and time

The Fortnite Zero Hour live event starts on November 29 at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 2PM ET
• West Coast (US): 11AM PT
• United Kingdom: 7PM GMT
• Central Europe: 8PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 6AM AEDT (November 30)
• Japan (Tokyo): 4AM JST (November 30)

We'll likely hear more about matchmaking later this week, but Epic Games has already revealed that doors open at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 1:20PM ET
• West Coast (US): 10:20AM PT
• United Kingdom: 6:20PM GMT
• Central Europe: 7:20PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 5:20AM AEDT (November 30)
• Japan (Tokyo): 3:20AM JST (November 30)

What do we know about the Fortnite Zero Hour live event?

Epic Games is yet to reveal the full details on the upcoming Fortnite Zero Hour live event.

We do have a trailer, which can be viewed above, and it shows all of the biggest Chapter 6 collaborations teaming up against a gigantic foe. There's a giant Homer Simpson, alongside Godzilla and King Kong. The kraken enemy appears to be back, having featured in the last two live events.

The trailer description reads: "Legends assemble in the final endgame to save reality. The fight begins in Fortnite Zero Hour".

One of the new characters that appears in Zero Hour is The Bride from Kill Bill. This has been confirmed as one of the first collaborations for Chapter 7, so we'll have to see how the sword-wielding warrior plays into the events of the Chapter finale event.

What is Fortnite Chapter finale Zero Hour?

Fortnite Chapter finale Zero Hour is the name of an upcoming live event.

Live events tend to happen at the end of season's, and in the case of Zero Hour, the event will usher in a whole new Chapter. Chapter 7 will begin following downtime once Zero Hour concludes. You'll want to log into Fortnite at the times specified above, and get into the bespoke matchmaking playlist. These tend to be very busy, with long wait times, so the earlier the better.

Once Zero Hour kicks off, you and your squad will fight alongside others in a scripted gameplay and cinematic sequence. We'll likely get to see some of Chapter 7, before the servers turn off for downtime. Generally, there's only one chance to catch the live event, so be sure to make time on the day, or follow along live as I cover it as part of an upcoming liveblog.

Fortnite Zero Hour FAQ

• Epic Games has released a teaser trailer for Fortnite Chapter 6's finale event
• Fortnite Zero Hour will go live on November 29 at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 8pm GMT
• Epic Games has also announced its Quentin Tarantino collaboration for Chapter 7, which will feature an unfilmed chapter from Kill Bill, titled The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge

Fortnite Chapter 6 is coming to a close, and Epic Games has teased the finale event that will see new characters coming together, as well as a glimpse at Chapter 7's Kill Bill collaboration.

Epic has revealed that the one-time live Fortnite Zero Hour event will go live on November 29 at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 8pm GMT and it's sure to be a spectacle.

From the trailer, it's confirmed that some of cinema's most iconic characters will be featured, including Godzilla and King Kong in an explosive battle, Kill Bill's Beatrix Kiddo, as well as Star Wars X-Wings and a gigantic Homer Simpson?

"Legends assemble in the final endgame to save reality," the description reads.

The official website also teases, "Heroes, villains, and worlds collide in the final endgame to save all reality."

Speaking of Kill Bill, during the Fortnite Chapter 7 event (via FandomWire), it was announced that Quentin Tarantino's collaboration with the ongoing game will feature an unfilmed chapter from Kill Bill: Vol 1, titled "The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge".

Tarantino wrote the unfilmed scene in 2003, which featured a revenge story focused on Yuki Yubari, who goes after Uma Thurman's Beatrix Kiddo for killing her sister Gogo Yubari in the movie.

Yuki's short never made it to the big screen due to Tarantino choosing not to shoot it for pacing reasons, but it will be featured in the upcoming collaboration in Chapter 7's battle pass, which will also include Gogo as an obtainable skin, according to leaks.

A new poster teasing the event has also been revealed, which showcases the first official look at Yuki in a pink car, wearing a school uniform and pigtails, and wielding a submachine gun.

Yuki's Revenge will seemingly be the main event of Chapter 7, which launches on November 30.

• Google and Epic Games have just settled their long-running legal dispute
• The settlement sees Google make major Play Store concessions
• That could bring sweeping changes to the Android ecosystem

Google and Epic Games have been locked in a legal tussle over the future of the Google Play Store for years. But with the dispute largely going Epic’s way of late, the two companies have decided to reach a settlement – and it could change the entire Android ecosystem forever.

The settlement sees Google make sweeping concessions to Epic, altering its Play Store in radical ways and potentially making it unrecognizable compared to before. In the end, that could be great news for Android fans.

In short, Android developers will no longer be forced to use Google Play Billing when charging users in apps or through external links, and will instead be able to use alternative payment methods. Google will also allow the installation of Registered App Stores – that is, alternative app stores – that will have access to the full catalog of Google Play apps.

Aside from giving users more choice, Google is also lowering the fees it charges developers. The situation is fairly complex, but the long and short of it is that Google can charge 20% for in-app purchases that provide more than a de minimis gameplay advantage (presumably, things like power-ups), or 9% for anything that provides no advantage (like extra levels). Google’s fee is also 9% for subscriptions, non-game app purchases, and up-front payments. And if apps want to use Google Play Billing, Google will charge an additional 5%.

These fees are lower than those developers had been paying previously, which could reach 30%. That raises the possibility that developers might pass those savings on to users. If paying for apps and in-app purchases is about to get cheaper, that’s a win for Android users.

It’s also worth noting that the settlement affects users globally, not just in the United States, and remains valid until June 2032 (a period of 6.5 years). When Google initially lost its case against Epic, the presiding judge ruled that the enforced changes would be valid only in the United States and for a period of just three years.

While there is much nuance in the settlement – the fees charged to developers depend on the date a user installed an app, with the new model only applying to apps freshly installed after October 2025, for example – it’s clear that Google has conceded a lot of ground here. The settlement is now just awaiting approval from the trial judge, which should happen today. With any luck, Google’s concessions will result in a better, more affordable future for Android users.

You might also like

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• Fortnite gets a fresh Item Shop update starting today
• Krusty the Clown arrives as part of a bundle
• More Sidekicks are set to be added, including a Velociraptor, a pug in a hoodie, and a tiny Cuddle Team Leader

Fortnite's latest Item Shop update arrives later today (November 6), adding more The Simpsons skins and Sidekicks. This follows the launch of The Simpsons Fortnite, a month-long season that has completely switched things up with a new map called Springfield Island.

So far, we've seen a Bart Simpson bundle hit the Item Shop, but today we'll get the next tie-in skin in the form of Krusty the Clown. In the Tweet embedded below, we get a look at the skin, which appears to feature a clown car emote.

There's more set to be added to the Fortnite Item Shop this week as well, including more Sidekicks. Lil'Raptor, Doggo Jr., Cuddle Team Jr., and Flopsticks will be available on November 7.

Sidekicks were added alongside the new Fortnite season and are essentially pets that follow you around in-game. They can be customized once, and multiple versions of the same Sidekick require separate purchases.

Fortnite The Simpsons is set to end on November 29, the same day there's going to be a live event ushering in whatever comes next.

For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 7, including map changes, new skins, and upcoming updates.

• Disney Parks is arriving in Fortnite for the first time as a 'creative island'
• Disneyland Game Rush arrives on November 6, 2025, and looks a lot like the park
• Rather than ride rides, you'll play mini games inside the famous attractions

While it’s not the persistent, always-connected universe long promised by Disney Experiences and Epic Games, we’re finally getting a taste of Disney Parks in Fortnite. And if you’re a fan of in-real-life immersive experiences and rides, Darth Vader in Fortnite, or the popular Battle Royale, you’re in for a treat.

Disneyland Game Rush, Fortnite’s first-ever Disney Parks experience, arrives tomorrow, November 6, 2025, as a Fortnite Creative island that looks a heck of a lot like the Disneyland Resort – completely decked out with 70th-anniversary colors and logos. You’ll land in the center of the island, surrounded by iconic Disneyland Resort landmarks – Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Pixar Pal-A-Round, the Incredicoaster, and even the bridges you pass under when entering the park – and then discover several minigames inspired by the park's attractions, blending them with classic Fortnite mechanics.

This is arguably the most exciting part: Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, and Haunted Mansion are just a few of the attractions being used as backdrops for these minigame-style experiences.

For instance, in Star Wars: Stormtrooper Showdown, you’ll walk through a digital world resembling the iconic ride – complete with two AT-ATs – and battle Stormtroopers of the First Order as you navigate around a Star Destroyer. Fortnite fans missing the Star Wars chapters will be happy to know that some lightsabers are hidden around here as well.

In Haunted Mansion: Scavenger Haunt, you’ll search for items inspired by the ride as you explore a virtual Haunted Mansion. It even starts with the stretching room – albeit with some Fortnite flair – that Disney Parks teased on X (formerly Twitter).

So, no, it’s not a full-out Battle Royale set in Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, but it uses the rides as backdrops for seven minigames that should delight fans of the parks and franchises alike. It’s also pretty family-friendly and broadly appealing.

The other games include WEB-Slingers: Spider-Bot Blasters, Space Mountain: Rocket Race, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Sneak Out!, Indiana Jones: Tomb Runner, and Matterhorn: Slip-and-Climb. As you complete the minigames, you’ll earn keys that can be used to unlock exclusive items – think skins or back blings – that you can use elsewhere in Fortnite.

It’s essentially Fortnite Games with a Disney twist, taking elements of Disney Imagineering and bringing them into Fortnite’s digital world. Disneyland Game Rush is the first taste of Disney Experiences’ connected world and seems to have been crafted with the same care as Disneyland’s 70th-anniversary celebration, currently taking place at the park in California.

Perhaps the best part is that Disneyland Game Rush launches as a free Fortnite Creative island tomorrow, November 6. You’ll be able to search for it by name or via the island code 4617-4819-8826 on any platform where you can play Fortnite, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Disneyland Game Rush is being billed as a limited-time experience, though no exact timeframe has been given. You can scroll down to see a gallery of the shared in-game screenshots, offering a look at the launcher hub that showcases digital recreations of the main attractions – and a taste of Disneyland within Fortnite. It’ll also help build anticipation for the persistent Disney–Epic Games universe, which is in development and will connect elements from parks, shows, and movies into a unified digital world.

I suspect we’ll start to hear more about that in the coming months – especially since Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (located at Galaxy’s Edge West in Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Galaxy’s Edge East at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida) is set to be updated in May 2026 alongside The Mandalorian & Grogu film. It’s rumored to be part of this connected experience.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot more on the horizon with this partnership – but along with the excellently filmed ride-throughs on Disney+ and the real-world park experiences, Disneyland Game Rush will be an excellent, fitting way to experience the magic from home.

• Fortnite Chapter 7 is set to launch at the end of November
• Creators have received a cryptic tease from Epic Games featuring a set of co-ordinates
• These point to Hollywood in North America, and fans think there might be a Kill Bill tie-in

Fortnite Chapter 7 has started to be teased, with a handful of creators having received a cryptic teaser containing a set of co-ordinates, as well as the letters "Q&U".

As revealed by @NickEh30 on X, the top Fortnite creator received an official Chapter 7 teaser, which you can view via this unlisted YouTube link. The short transmission mentions Zero Hour, Chapter 7, and Fortnite After Dark With Q&U.

The co-ordinates in the teaser (34.134117 N, 118.321495 W) correspond to Los Angeles and more specifically, Hollywood. I've verified these co-ordinates using a latitude and longitude map, and it does indeed look like Fortnite's next Chapter will be based on the United States, specifically the West Coast. Now onto that "Q&U" mention.

As spotted by Fortnite leaker @ShiinaBR on X, Q&U is what Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman credited themselves for Kill Bill. Given that a re-release of Kill Bill Vol 1 and Vol 2, combined as Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, is set to arrive in theaters on December 5, it would all tie in very nicely with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 7, and the teased Hollywood setting. We'll have to wait and see whether these rumors line up with the eventual reveal of Chapter 7.

Fortnite The Simpsons is set to end on November 29, the same day there's going to be a live event ushering in whatever comes next.

For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 7, including map changes, new skins, and upcoming updates.

• Fortnite x The Simpsons has launched
• You can earn in-game items like the Kang and Kodos Glider by linking various accounts
• The Simpsons Discord Avatar and the 'Fuel Rod and Tongs' Pickaxe are up for grabs

Fortnite The Simpsons launched last weekend (November 1), adding Springfield Island, a new Battle Pass, and a totally Simpsons-themed season. By linking your MyDisney and Epic Games accounts, you can unlock the Kang and Kodos Glider in-game. This is available until February 28, 2026.

Elsewhere, there's the 'Fuel Rod and Tongs Pickaxe', which you'll get for logging into Fortnite Battle Royale, Zero Build or Delulu before November 10, 2025 at 9AM ET / 6AM PT / 1PM GMT.

Finally, you can get the Peely Vanish Discord Avatar Decoration on Discord via the Quests tab. Play Fortnite for 15 minutes with your Discord client open to unlock the decoration for 2 months.

Fortnite is now running a The Simpsons mini-season, allowing players to drop into a Springfield-themed map. I've already played a bunch of matches, and found so many Easter Eggs including prank calls, a couch that your whole squad can sit on, and even an event that makes the Power Plant go into meltdown. This is easily my favorite Fortnite update in a long time, making the game climb the ranks in our best free games to play in 2025 list.

To link your MyDisney and Epic Games accounts, you'll need to visit the Epic Games website. For everything officially confirmed for the future of Fortnite, visit our next season of Fortnite guide.

The Fortnite The Simpsons live event is now over, and the game is in downtime. The new major update will launch later on, adding a Springfield map, and a fresh Battle Pass.

There are plenty of new features currently in Fortnite, including the news of Sidekicks finally coming to the game in the next Battle Pass. We're currently at the tail end of Fortnitemares 2025, which will lead into a The Simpsons mini-season. Expect a new map, plenty of Simpsons skins and weapons, as well as a new Battle Pass. It's constant updates like these that make Fortnite one of our recommendations for the best free games to play in 2025.

Here's our Fortnite The Simpsons live event reactions, and our live coverage in the build up to launch of the new season. We'll detail everything we know about the mini-season so far, and give you up to date info on what to expect.

When will Fortnite be back online?

Fortnite will be back online after downtime ends. According to the in-game timer, this matches up to the times below:

• East Coast (US): 4:30PM ET
• West Coast (US): 1:30PM PT
• United Kingdom: 8:30PM GMT
• Central Europe: 9:30PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 7:30AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 5:30AM JST (November 2)

Fortnite The Simpsons live event start time

The Fortnite x The Simpsons live event started on Saturday, November 1 at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 11AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12AM JST (November 2)

With Fortnite live events, I always recommend that you log into the game half an hour before start time. You'll want to get into the event pre-lobby as early as you can, as servers can fill up fast.

How long did the event last?

The Fortnite The Simpsons live event lasted around 15 minutes, and was mostly a cutscene, serving as an introduction to the new season.

Fortnite The Simpsons downtime

Fortnite The Simpsons is expected to launch at 5PM ET / 2PM PT / 9PM GMT (at the latest). Fortnite kicked into downtime at the times listed below (now started):

• East Coast (US): 11:30AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8:30AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3:30PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4:30PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2:30AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12:30AM JST (November 2)

Live coverage as it happened

Welcome, Our Alien Overlords!

Hello Fortnite fans, it's officially time to start my live build up to the Fortnite x The Simpsons live event. I'll give you all of the most up to date info on what to expect, and lead you through the process of how things will work tomorrow.

What time does the next Fortnite live event start

The Fortnite The Simpsons live event begins November 1 at the times listed below:

• East Coast (US): 11AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12AM JST (November 2)

Check out the Fortnite The Simpsons live event countdown

If you head to Creepy Camps in Fortnite Battle Royale, you'll spot Bart's Treehouse, in a distinctly different cel-shaded kind of style. Next to this is a big red countdown clock, ticking down to the event. You can monitor this while in-game, or stay up to date with this live blog. I'll be giving regular updates as to how long is left to go before the live event begins.

A new Tweet advises players to drop in early

The Fortnite X account has posted an update regarding the upcoming live event. It's advised that players drop in early, to avoid missing the festivities. Personally, I'll be jumping into the game half an hour prior to the start time.

Sidekicks arrive next season

On October 30, Epic Games revealed Fortnite Sidekicks. These are essentially pets that players can purchase, with these new companions following around in certain game modes. There's set to be one in the new Battle Pass, and several have been shown off in the reveal trailer.

Jonesy and Hope battle Kang and Kodos

We haven't seen a whole lot of official key art from Epic Games regarding the upcoming The Simpsons tie-in. The image above shows Jonesy and Hope in the style of The Simpsons, facing off with Kang and Kodos. Hopefully we get a look of in-game characters later today.

Fortnite creators will reveal The Simpsons gameplay later today!

Fortnite creators like NickEh30 will reveal early looks at the upcoming The Simpsons tie-in later today. At 3PM ET / 11AM PT / 7PM BST, we'll get our first look at gameplay. You can even see a new key art image in the tweet embedded above, showing off some new skins.

Here's where to find Bart's Treehouse

You can visit Bart's Treehouse in Fortnite Battle Royale mode currently, giving you a sneak peek at the new art-style. I've marked the location on the map below, using a red house icon. It's located in the northwestern corner of Creepy Camps.

Fortnite will head into downtime after the next live event

Epic Games has now confirmed that Fortnite will head into downtime following the conclusion of the Welcome, Our Alien Overlords live event. This will happen at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 11:30AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8:30AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3:30PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4:30PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2:30AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12:30AM JST (November 2)

El Barto wreaks havoc

You may have noticed some updates to the Fortnitemares branding on the main Fortnite channels and website this week. Graffiti from the infamous is scrawled all over, turning Fortnite into 'Fartnite'. If you head in-game, you'll see this too, as well as a small animation of Bart using spray paint. This is the first proper look at the upcoming Bart skin, which puts him in a robotic suit, like Morty.

The Simpsons gets a Rocket League collaboration

The Simpsons has announced a Rocket League collaboration, launching November 1. This likely points to some Rocket Racing tie-ins too, given that this is all owned by Epic Games.

Fortnite live event playlist is now in-game

If you load into Fortnite and scroll down a bit on the Discover menu, you'll find the Fortnite The Simpsons live event playlist. You can't join yet, but this does confirm that it will indeed be a separate playlist.

I'm off for today

We're now just under 22 hours until the start of the next Fortnite live event. I'm heading off for the evening, but I'll be back tomorrow to lead you through the build up to kick off. Until then!

Just three hours until the next Fortnite live event!

Hello again. It's now just a few hours until the start of The Simpsons x Fortnite live event, and a bunch of stuff has been revealed overnight. I'll start by re-iterating the start times below:

• East Coast (US): 11AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12AM JST (November 2)

The Simpsons update preload is live

If you're on PS5 and Xbox, the Fortnite The Simpsons update is available for preload. Just check for the latest update, it's around 35GB. You'll need this to jump into the live event and the new season later on. Credit to @ShiinaBR on X for this news. It's well worth checking out their feed as well, as there's a whole host of new leaks.

Here's when the new season of Fortnite starts

While the live event kicks off at 11AM ET / 8AM PT / 3PM GMT, the Fortnite The Simpsons new season will arrive 6 hours later. This means that you can expect to jump into the new update at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 5PM ET
• West Coast (US): 2PM PT
• United Kingdom: 9PM GMT
• Central Europe: 10PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 8AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 6AM JST (November 2)

New teaser shows off Bart and Homer

Epic Games has posted a YouTube Short showing a teaser for the upcoming The Simpsons update for Fortnite. We see a look at the map, some new Sidekicks, and items like the Maggie shopping cart Glider, and a Krusty balloon gun.

Fortnite The Simpsons live event countdown: 2 hours to go!

It's now just two hours until the Fortnite The Simpsons live event kicks off. Make sure to jump into the game at least 20 minutes early to secure a spot. There's a separate event playlist in the Discover menu.

Watch the Kang and Kodos teaser

A Kang and Kodos-starring event teaser was posted on the Fortnite X account last night. It shows Jonesy and Hope in full The Simpsons style. Are we going to be fighting off an alien invasion later? Time will tell.

Today's downtime for Fortnite The Simpsons

After the live event, Fortnite will head into downtime before the launch of The Simpsons season. This will kick in at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 11:30AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8:30AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3:30PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4:30PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2:30AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12:30AM JST (November 2)

Fortnite The Simpsons live event countdown: One Hour to go!

We'll be dropping into the latest Fortnite live event in just one hour. Make sure your game is updated, and take a look at the 'Welcome, Our Alien Overlords' playlist in the Discover menu.

Super Squishees for all

We now know that the Kwik-E-Mart's signature drink: The Squishee, will be available in Fortnite as part of the new season. It's an item, similar to a Slurp Juice, that appears to increase movement speed. We'll have to wait and see what other effects it has later on today.

Fortnite The Simpsons live event countdown: 30 minutes until kick off!

The Fortnite The Simpsons live event begins in just 30 minutes. I'd recommend loading into the game now, and waiting in a lobby until the playlist opens up.

Other modes are disabled

According to Fortnite Status on X, Battle Royale, Zero Build, and Ranked are temporarily unavailable leading up to and during the live event.

The Fortnite live event starts now

It's time for the live event to begin! Wait for the playlist to unlock and join with your squad. I'll be giving my impressions as it all unfolds.

Servers are absolutely full!

Me and my squad are having trouble starting the event. Looks like servers are extremely busy, but I'm going to keep trying.

Fortnite live event matchmaking error

I'm getting a matchmaking error when trying to start the event. It appears that services are having some difficulties on Epic's end.

Is the Fortnite live event online?

It would appear that everyone is having trouble getting into the live event. This is a Fortnite-side error, so we'll have to wait for updates.

An instability is opening up

The event has started, and a pink instability portal has opened up above Bart's Treehouse.

There's a giant squid enemy in the sky!

Looks like a giant squid has appeared through the portal. It's slammed down a tentacle, and now there's a cutscene showing Kang and Kodos invading the island.

The event is over, and now we wait for the next season

The live event was pretty much just a cutscene, that looked like an episode of The Simpsons. The Island merged with Springfield to become...Springfield Island. We then got a run through of the intro to The Simpsons, showing off the new season.

The Simpsons | Fortnite starts later today

Now, there's just a loading screen with a countdown to the new season. The game is now in downtime, so we'll have to wait to jump into the new update.

Bart arrives in Fortnite

During the live event, we finally got a good look at Bart Simpson in his Fortnite variant. He has a robotic suit similar to Morty's (Rick and Morty). This is to bring him up to the same general proportions as other characters in the game.

You'll be able to visit Springfield Island once Fortnite downtime is over

Now we wait for a few hours of Fortnite downtime. Be sure to check back in at the times specified in the countdown screen, and you'll be able to dive headfirst into the new season.

• Fortnite is getting Sidekick companions on November 1
• The update will arrive with the next season, and players can unlock the first Sidekick in the Battle Pass
• Sidekick Appearances are permanent and can't be duplicated, meaning players will have to purchase Sidekicks multiple times if they want to use a different Appearance

Epic Games has announced Sidekicks for Fortnite, a new pet companion feature that will follow players in-game.

Sidekicks will officially join Fortnite's Battle Royale mode, Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Save the World, and Fortnite Festival on November 1, alongside the release of the next season, which is set to feature The Simpsons.

Players will be able to unlock the game's very first Sidekick, Peels, in the next Battle Pass, with more set to arrive in the Shop on November 7, including Bonesy, Spike, and Lil’ Raptor.

Epic Games has also teased "something for all the cat people out there" that will come later.

Players who already own the Bonesy Back Bling will be granted the Bonesy Sidekick on November 7, too, so they can be on the lookout for that when it hits their Lockers.

It's also confirmed that these adorable pals don't provide any gameplay advantage and don't take damage from enemies, and are simply "friendly cosmetics that stay by your side".

As Epic Games explains in the latest blog post, players can customize the Appearance of most Sidekicks one time only in their Locker after obtaining them.

"Your choices are permanent, so make sure to preview the Appearance before locking it in," the studio said.

This means that players must purchase a Sidekick multiple times if they want to use different Appearances.

In the FAQ section, Epic Games explained, "Yes, you can purchase a Sidekick multiple times and give them different Appearances. However, each Sidekick customization you own in your Locker must be unique. Duplicate Appearances are not allowed."

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 is set to end on November 1, the same day The Simpsons join the game as part of a Fortnite live event.

For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 6 Season 5, including map changes, new skins, and upcoming updates.

• Resident Evil Requiem will be coming to Fortnite next year
• Players who pre-order Requiem on the Epic Games Store will receive a special Fortnite skin based on Grace Ashcroft and more
• The Fortnite goodies will be distributed after Requiem's February 27, 2026 release

Capcom has announced that Resident Evil Requiem will be coming to Fortnite next year.

The publisher shared the collaboration in a social media post today, confirming that players who pre-order Resident Evil Requiem on the Epic Games Store will receive a special Fortnite outfit based on protagonist Grace Ashcroft, along with other as-yet undisclosed items.

"Resident Evil Requiem is coming to Fortnite," Capcom said. "Order Resident Evil Requiem on the Epic Games Store to get a Grace Ashcroft Fortnite skin & more. Stay tuned for more info."

The studio also noted that these pre-order goodies "will be distributed after Resident Evil Requiem's release", which means players will receive their rewards after the game launches on February 27, 2026.

Fortnite featured a Resident Evil crossover back in 2021 with the addition of Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, and later Leon S. Kennedy and Clair Redfield in 2023.

It's unclear if these characters will make a return alongside the Requiem collab next year.

Resident Evil Requiem is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem have officially gone live. The Standard Edition is available for $69.99 / £64.99, while the Deluxe Edition is $79.99 / £74.99 and also comes with a costume based on Resident Evil Village's Lady Dimitrescu for Grace.

A Fortnite The Simpsons crossover live event airs tomorrow (November 1), and so far we know very little about it. Thankfully, we do know when the event is set to go live, and some info on what to expect. There's also been some teases in-game, including an appearance by Kang and Kodos.

We're nearing the end of Fortnitemares 2025, and thankfully now know what the next season of Fortnite will entail. The Simpsons will be the main collaboration, and it's rumored that it'll be a mini-season like we had with the Fortnite Galactic Battle season in May of 2025.

So far, we know that there will be a live event to kick things off, leading into the new season. It's regular seasonal switchovers like these that have kept Fortnite ranked highly on our list of the best crossplay games to play in 2025.

Here's the Fortnite The Simpsons live event start time, as well as everything confirmed for the seasonal switchover. As new info is revealed, I'll be sure to update this page. Given that we're just a day away from launch, you can now follow along live in the build up to the event as part of our Fortnite The Simpsons event live blog.

Fortnite The Simpsons live event start date and time

The Fortnite x The Simpsons live event starts on November 1 at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 11AM ET
• West Coast (US): 8AM PT
• United Kingdom: 3PM GMT
• Central Europe: 4PM CET
• Australia (Sydney): 2AM AEDT (November 2)
• Japan (Tokyo): 12AM JST (November 2)

We'll likely hear more about matchmaking later this week, but expect to login around half an hour before the event starts to make sure you get a place.

What do we know about the Fortnite The Simpsons live event?

Epic Games is yet to reveal the full dteails on the upcoming Fortnite The Simpsons mini-event. The company is indeed calling it a "mini-event", which is different phrasing to the usual speak surrounding upcoming seasonal transitions. If you head in-game, you'll see the message below:

"'Welcome Our Alien Overlords' Mini Event - Nov 1. Not even Bart's Treehouse can contain what awaits. Kick back on the couch, grab a donut, and welcome Kang and Kodos on November 1 at 11AM ET! Don't change the channel - more of The Simpsons is coming soon."

It seems then, that the mini event is titled: "Welcome Our Alien Overlords". In the Instagram post embedded above, we see Kang and Kodos battling it out with Jones and Hope, all in the style of The Simpsons.

Over on X, the official Fortnite account revealed another look at Kang and Kodos, confirming the upcoming event. So far, this is really all we have, though there are some in-game teases, which I'll cover below.

The Simpsons in-game Fortnite teasers

If you head into Fortnite Battle Royale and visit Creepy Camps, you'll find a countdown clock, ticking down to the event's start time. It's next to Bart's Treehouse, which is completely cel-shaded, as is the area around it. You can jump up into the treehouse to find a TV.

In addition to the treehouse and countdown, you'll also see Kang and Kodos flying in alongside the battle bus at the beginning of a match. They're in the Fortnite art-style, so it's possible they'll be available as a glider later on.

That's everything that's been officially confirmed for the upcoming Fortnite x The Simpsons live event. As more info is revealed I'll be sure to add it here. There have been some Fortnite The Simpsons leaks, however, revealing some of the Battle Pass characters, and an early version of the new map.

If you're playing Fortnite on mobile, check out our recommendations for the best mobile controllers below:

• The Simpsons is coming to Fortnite on November 1
• The previously leaked mini-season is set to feature The Simpsons' alien invaders, Kang and Kodos
• The mini-season will begin as Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 ends

The rumors were true! Epic Games has confirmed that The Simpsons is officially coming to Fortnite for the very first time as the game's annual Fortnitemares Halloween event draws to a close.

In a post shared to X / Twitter, Epic Games shared new artwork teasing the leaked crossover showing Fortnite's Jonesy and Hope facing off against The Simpsons' alien invaders, Kang and Kodos, in the long-running TV show's iconic art style.

The Fortnite account's header image also appears to have been vandalized with graffiti by Bart Simpson, suggesting the character will also make an appearance in the new mini-season.

But when can players expect to play the new collaboration? Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 is set to end on November 1, the same day The Simpsons mini-season will seemingly kick off.

"Kang and Kodos have arrived in Fortnite with a message for all of you humans, be sure to tune in-game on Nov 1 at 11AM ET," Epic Games said.

The official Instagram account for The Simpsons also shared a video teasing the mini-season, which shows Kang and Kodos turning Fortnite character Fishtick into a plate of fishsticks before abducting Jonesy and Hope.

If you jump into Fortnite Battle Royale currently, you'll notice Kang and Kodos flying in their UFO alongside the battle bus at the beginning of matches. You can see how this looks in the image below:

There are still a few days left before Fortnite Shock 'N Awesome wraps up, as well as its Halloween event, Fortnitemares, which added Scooby Doo and the gang, real-life popstar Doja Cat, and a bunch of horror icons like Ghostface, Jason Voorhees, and more.

For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 6 Season 5, including map changes and upcoming updates.

• Leaks have emerged for a rumored Fortnite x The Simpsons collaboration
• Full promotional art has been shared on X, showing Homer Simpson, a new Peely variant, and other new skins
• So far, Epic Games has yet to reveal anything official, but the current season is set to end on November 1

Fortnite is rumored to be getting a month-long collaboration mini-season with The Simpsons. If these leaks are to be believed, the month-long mini season will run in November, with a Springfield-themed map makeover.

Leaks have been emerging for a couple of weeks now, but on October 24, 2025, a full Fortnite HD key art image was shared by leaker @blortzen on X. This shows off Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, a Blinky Fishstick variant, a Peely variant, Ned Flanders, Bart, and Lisa running rampage through Springfield-themed POIs (points of interest). This leak has been shared by top Fortnite leaker @ShiinaBR on X, adding further weight to the image's authenticity:

Another prominent leaker @HYPEX shared an alleged screenshot of the new map for the rumored mini-season. This originally came from @Jorge_Most on X.

Of course, these images haven't been officially confirmed by Epic Games, so until we can verify their authenticity, treat them as rumors. In general, both @HYPEX and @ShinaaBR have been consistently reliable with pre-season leaks, having recently revealed the Fortnitemares 2025 content before Epic Games did.

I'm extremely excited by the prospect of an entire The Simpsons-themed mini-season. There are just so many skins they could add. Personally, I'm hoping for Hans Moleman. If the leaks are to be believed, we'll see a total map makeover, featuring iconic Springfield locations.

It's been a while since we got a full The Simpsons video game, so I'm hoping this season scratches that Hit 'n' Run itch. I am a bit worried about just how much money I'm prepared to fork over for The Simpsons skins and other cosmetics, but hopefully, there will be some savings to be had via a Battle Pass. For everything officially confirmed for the future of Fortnite, visit our next season of Fortnite guide.

An enormous Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage had a huge impact across the internet yesterday, and gaming did not escape the damage.

Games of all types, from Fortnite to Wordle to Roblox were affected by the AWS outage. Problems started at about 7.30am BST (that's 2.30am ET) yesterday, October 20, when gaming services started having huge spikes on the outage-detecting website Downdetector.

The root of the problems lies with Amazon Web Services, but the Amazon Web Services dashboard only described an "operational issue" in North Virginia as the cause of the problem.

The effect of the outage was massive and impacted millions of people across the internet, and in gaming, folks were just flat-out unable to play huge games like Battlefield 6 and Fortnite .

Thankfully, the problems have largely been resolved - though I wouldn't be surprised if we see some blips still occur in the near future - and normal service has broadly been resumed. You can see here how we covered it and some of the 'highlights' through the event.

Latest news

Gaming services hit by massive AWS outage

A huge Amazon Web Services (AWS) problem started earlier this morning at about 7.30am BST (2.30am ET) and has seen a whole host of gaming services and games hit by interruptions and straight-up failures.

This will be huge today with millions of gamers trying to play online or affect storefronts on the daily. Right now, we can see that the likes of Fortnite, Roblox, Wordle, and the Epic Game Store - and many, many more - have been affected.

Let's do the rounds and see what the state of play is and if there's any fix on the horizon.

Fortnite massively affected

One of the very biggest games in the world has been affected by the AWS outage: Fortnite is currently down for many.

My colleague Rhys just sent me the above screenshot showing that he just flat-out cannot sign in to the game.

The error reads: "Unable to sign in to your account for online services. Please try again later."

Fortnite being down is partnered by Epic's own storefront failing to load or let me log in online.

The above error screen is what I get and have had all morning...

PS Network seems fine...

In slightly better news, the PlayStation Network seems to be fine - at least for me and many others, despite there being some reports of outages.

From my testing however, the store, games, and PS direct, and all my account gumpf is fine - thankfully.

An update from AWS

We have an update from AWS!

Reporting at 2.27aam PT (that's 10.27am BST), AWS said:

"We are seeing significant signs of recovery. Most requests should now be succeeding. We continue to work through a backlog of queued requests. We will continue to provide additional information."

Fingers crossed that means we're now coming oput the end of this...

Cannot go fast right now in Sonic...

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has been affected by the AWS outage too with my colleague Rhys sharing this screenshot showing that the connection to the server is just failing.

Phew! Wordle is back…

Wordle was badly hit by the AWS outage earlier, but appears to be back online now.

Though the page itself – hosted on the New York Times' gaming site – loaded, it wouldn't let users log in, meaning they wouldn't be able to extend their all-important streaks.

The site now seems to be working normally, so you can go ahead and get your daily fix. (And if you need help, make sure you check out our Wordle today page for hints and discussion of the game.)

Thanks for the above update to our Global Editor-in-Chief, and Wordle warlock, Marc McLaren!

If you play Amazon games, you may be hit hard...

Perhaps somewhat predictably, if you're someone who plays Amazon games it looks like you're being hit hard right now.

The above image is from the Throne and Liberty X / Twitter account, and remains the latest update on the game which appears to acknowledge widespread problems for players trying to login and play...

Same goes for Lost Ark...

Unsurprisingly, the same goes for Amazon's other big game, Lost Ark, with the official X / Twitter account offering an almost identical statement acknowledging the problems.

Roblox looks to have recovered

While the official Roblox X / Twitter account didn't post any updates about the state of Roblox today, it looks like users have reported it recovering.

It's also got a huge downward trend on Downdetector which means things are looking good for the immensely popular game platform.

We might be past the worst of it, folks

I think we may well be coming out the otherside of this massive AWS outage that's affected loads of gaming services, everyone.

Downdetector graphs across nearly all major gaming storefronts, platforms, and games are showing downward trends and we here at TechRadar are accessing a number of them fine ourselves now.

Fingers crossed that the worst of it is over...

Fortnite remains down though...

It looks as though the huge battle royale game that is Fortnite is still down, however.

The above screenshot was from a few minutes ago, and taken by a colleague of mine showing that it is still impossible to sign in for some folks.

That last post about Fortnite is still backed up by the latest statement from the official Fortnite Status X / Twitter page, by the way. See that below:

Elsewhere it looks like Reddit is having real trouble...

Adjacent to all the gaming chaos, which looks to be recovering, thankfully, it does look like Reddit is having an outage for the ages too right now.

You can follow that outage and get all the latest information here: Massive AWS outage takes down Reddit, Snapchat, Alexa, Ring and much of the internet – all the latest updates live

Fortnite is still very much down

We're still checking regular and Fortnite is still throwing up "Servers not responding" errors on the login screen.

The Epic Games Storefront online is back up for me however, so hopefully that's a good sign for Fortnite!

AWS update

Okay, we've got another update from the horse's mouth.

A new post on the AWS dashboard from 4.08am PDT / 7.08am ET / 12.08pm BST says: "We are continuing to work towards full recovery for EC2 launch errors, which may manifest as an Insufficient Capacity Error.

"Additionally, we continue to work toward mitigation for elevated polling delays for Lambda".

It's all a bit technical, but a big takeaway here is that EC2 is short for Elastic Compute Cloud, which provides virtual servers in the cloud for running apps and hosting data. This likely explains why so many apps, like Snapchat and others, are having ongoing problems.

As a result, we might see the disturbance last a little while longer.

It appears as though Fortnite may be back...

OK, it looks as though Fortnite may be on the return!

The official Fortnite Status account on X / Twitter, has stated that players should be able to log in and matchmake with issue after the service provider outage has been "resolved".

The full statement is above but things could be on the up now...

It's a bit slow for us, but Fortnite is back...

My colleague Rhys has just tried Fortnite again, and we can confirm that the game is back online!

It's definitely a bit slow, but it's definitely here and you can get going on games and matchmaking. Huzzah!

Other major stores and services seem fine

We've been constantly checking the affected games and services that we have access to, and everything broadly looks okay from a gaming perspective.

We'll keep tabs on everything we can but hopefully things are looking much improved and on the up.

We're not out of the woods yet, perhaps

Looks like AWS are suggesting we're not out of the woods yet, and might see conitnued disruption...

In a statement from 7.14am PT / 10.14 ET / 15.14 BST, AWS said: "We can confirm significant API errors and connectivity issues across multiple services in the US-EAST-1 Region. We are investigating and will provide further update in 30 minutes or soon if we have additional information."

Uh oh, looks like Battlefield 6 might be affected...

As per the above screenshot taken from Downdetector it appears that Battlefield 6 may be being affected by today's outage - suddenly, and on a massive scale!

I will try to check this out imminently to confirm either way from what I can experience, but definitely something to be aware of.

Battlefield 6 latest...

OK, it did look bad when we just checked Battlefield 6, and while we were actually able to join a game, it's now hanging again and failing!

Looks like it could be a bad time to be an online Battlefield 6 player...

Battlefield 6 coming and going

OK, it appears that Battlefield 6 is coming and going a bit now. It's occasionally working for us, but still sometimes not letting you on.

Battlefield 6 still being temperamental

Someone else has told me that they still can't get into Battlefield 6 so your problems may continue if you're looking to play the mega online shooter.

And with that, I'm off

I have to leave now, but will leave this blog in the capable hands of my colleague Jacob.

Otherwise, this blog will still be a great resource of information about what happened today.

Hello there – Jacob Krol here, and we're still seeing reports of outages and persistent issues with Battlefield 6, according to Down Detector. Since the last update, at 1:54PM ET, there are still over 1,000 reports for the title on the site.

There are a few comments in the last 15 or so minutes noting that the service is finally starting to become available again.

While hours have passed since the initial start of AWS updates and a few hours since Amazon's most recent update, we'll paste that below. It seems that many issues with both Battlefield, Fortnite, Epic Games, and Roblox have improved – though it's not a complete fix.

Reported outages for these games and storefronts have recovered a bit, and I was able to load into a Fortnite match as well. Even so, though, Twitch and the PlayStation Network still seem to be encountering issues.

"We have continued to reduce throttles for EC2 instance launches in the US-EAST-1 Region and we continue to make progress toward pre-event levels in all Availability Zones (AZs). AWS services such as ECS and Glue, which rely on EC2 instance launches will recover as the successful instance launch rate improves. We see full recovery for Lambda invocations and are working through the backlog of queued events, which we expect to be fully processed in approximately in the next two hours. We will provide another update by 2:30 PM PDT."

Well, that was exciting, wasn't it? I mean, in a largely awful way, of course.

Thankfully, it looks like much of the problems affecting games and gaming stores and services have passed! Huzzah!

• Fortnite's annual Halloween event, Fortnitemares, has returned
• The seasonal event adds Doja Cat, Scooby Doo and the gang, and several horror movie and video game skins
• A new Nitemare Island map is being added on October 10

Epic Games has released the details and first trailer for Fortnitemares, Fortnite's annual Halloween event, revealing the crossover characters who will be added to the game.

Fortnitemares officially returns today, October 9, and like last year, the seasonal event arrives with an exciting new collaboration to celebrate, this time starring Scooby Doo and the gang.

The trailer confirmed that Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and Velma will all be featured in this year's Halloween event, and likely be available as skins in the Item Shop.

They'll also be joined by this year's main event boss, Mother of Thorns, and real-life popstar Doja Cat.

"Fear gets a new face. Meet the Mother of Thorns, Doja Cat, who’s twisting Battle Royale into her haunted kingdom and unleashing chaos with a wild cast of characters," Epic Games teased.

Those characters include horror icons like Scream's Ghostface, Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th, Wednesday Addams, the Grabber from Black Phone, and Art the Clown from Terrifier.

There will also be some skins inspired by some video games, including those from R.E.P.O. and Huggy Wuggy from the survival horror game, Poppy Playtime.

Players can also look forward to the all-new Nitemare Island that will debut in Fortnite Reload on October 10, which transforms the map into a Halloween-inspired spectacle.

The new event arrives amid Chapter 6 Season 4, which recently added a K-pop Demon Hunters collaboration.

For more, be sure to check out our full Fortnitemares 2025 article and our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 6 Season 5, including map changes and upcoming updates.

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Fortnitemares 2025 has now begun, adding in a whole host of new spooky skins and more. Now that Epic Games has revealed the full details on this year's Halloween event, we know that it'll involve pop megastar Doja Cat and Ghost Face from Scream. Other reveals include a Scooby Doo collaboration, as well as some other neat tie-ins.

Fortnite is currently well into Chapter 6 Season 4, and there has recently been a K-pop Demon Hunters collaboration that made a few changes to the map. As the year winds down, it's clear that Fortnite isn't slowing down any time soon. It is regular updates and changes, like Fortnitemares that have kept Fortnite ranked highly in our best free games list.

Here's everything we know about Fortnitemares 2025, including a look at the Doja Cat skins, and the new Reload map. As new details drop, this page will be updated.

Fortnitemares 2025 end date

Fortnitemares 2025 started on October 9, 2025. This was revealed by an in-game pop-up that teased the event. You can see this image below:

We now know that Fortnitemares 2025 will run right up until November 1, 2025. Plenty of time to get your hands on the new Halloween-themed skins.

Fortnitemares 2025 confirmed collaborations

Thanks to the official Fortnite user account on Reddit (u/TheFortniteTeam), we know that Scooby Doo, Scream, and R.E.P.O. are a part of Fortnitemares 2025. The team posted images to a bunch of different subreddits, and you can see two of them in the image above. The Scream teaser is embedded below, showing a very terrified Peely reflected onto Ghostface's knife.

Thanks to an official blog post on the Fortnite website, you can view all of the upcoming skins, including Jason from Friday the 13th, Wednesday Addams, and Ghost Face. Here's the release dates for the remaining skins:

• Terrifier - October 22
• Poppy PlayTime - October 23
• Wednesday Addams - October 24
• REPO - October 25

Fortnitemares Doja Cat

Finally, we have Doja Cat, who's been revealed as the main baddie for this year's Fortnitemares. The clip embedded above was shared on the official Fortnite Twitter account on October 8, and was a small part of a trailer that followed. You can view the full trailer below:

Fortnitemares map

There's a new Reload Map called Nitemare Island in Fortnitemares as of October 10. You can see the POIs (points of interest) in the image embedded above. It's entirely Halloween themed, perfect for the spooky season.

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• KPop Demon Hunters is the latest Fortnite collaboration to join the game
• Skins and accessories inspired by the HUNTR/X members, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, are now available
• Players can also take part in Demon Rush, a new version of Horde Rush, until November 1

KPop Demon Hunters, one of the biggest animated films of the year, has officially arrived in Fortnite as the game's latest collaboration.

Starting today, players can get their hands on skins inspired by the HUNTR/X members, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, in the Fortnite Item Shop, along with a selection of accessories and emotes from the Netflix hit that will also be available in the HUNTR/X Bundle.

The limited-time Horde Rush also makes a return as the revised Demon Rush, which will be available as a month-long game mode from October 2 to November 1.

"Recruit Rumi, Mira, or Zoey as you fight endless waves of faceless demons, while also loading up on Kpop Demon Hunters inspired perks between each Survival Phase," Epic Games said.

In addition, players will be able to complete quests from Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, and earn new items in Battle Royale, Reload, and Blitz, including Rumi’s Empowered Sword, Mira’s X-tra Spicy Ramyeon, Zoey's Golden Bubble Shield, and the Derpy Teleporter Mask.

Alongside these new additions to Battle Royale and Blitz, creators will also have access to KPop Demon Hunter-inspired assets, signature gameplay items, demon enemies, and the members of HUNTR/X.

"Whether it’s slashing through foes with Rumi’s Empowered Sword or orchestrating KPop street showdowns, developers can build melee-focused islands or remix their existing islands," Epic Games said.

After building their own experiences, creators can publish them right away with the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) and Fortnite Creative.

Unfortunately, the KPop Demon Hunters collaboration doesn't feature any Jam tracks for Fortnite Festival, so there won't be any jamming sessions to the film's popular 'Golden' or 'Soda Pop' songs. Here's hoping another update will arrive in the future to add these features, along with the Saja Boys!

Fortnite is currently in the middle of Chapter 6 Season 4. For more, check out our guide for Fortnite's next season release date and what to expect from Chapter 6 Season 5, including map changes and upcoming updates.

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• A new Fortnite collaboration with Daft Punk has been announced
• The Daft Punk Experience will be an immersive "fully interactive playground" experience
• A new Daft Punk Bundle will be available on September 25

Epic Games has announced a special Fortnite collaboration event with the electronic music duo Daft Punk, set to take place this weekend.

The Daft Punk Experience is described as a new immersive tribute to the iconic Grammy-winning duo, which will take players on a cosmic voyage from the world of Battle Royale to the world of Daft Punk.

Unlike previous musical collaborations, this crossover will also feature a "fully interactive playground" that includes multiple rooms with different ways to experience the band’s music.

The grand opening is scheduled for September 27 at 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST / 11 AM PT, but doors open for the pre-event lobby 30 minutes early at 1:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM BST / 10:30 AM PT.

"The Daft Punk Experience gives fans and players a chance to enter into this retro-futuristic realm celebrating the band’s legacy, reimagined for the virtual world," Epic Games said.

"Remix Daft Punk’s previously released music and create mashups of Daft Punk’s songs within Fortnite at Dream Chamber Studios, blast hordes of robots with a soundwave laser in the Robot Rock Arena, make a LEGO music video at Around the World, or hit the Daft Club to dance ‘til dawn. You’ll also find furniture from longtime Daft Punk collaborators Hervet Manufacturier throughout the experience."

In addition to the main event, a new Daft Punk Bundle will also be available in the Fortnite Shop on September 25, which features Daft Punk's GM08 helmet, outfit, and accessories, the TB3 helmet, outfit, and accessories, as well as instruments and a "Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers)" Jam Track. All outfits and accessories will be available in Fortnite and LEGO styles.

Epic Games has also teased an "afterparty," but more details will be revealed later. More details about the upcoming event can be found on the official blog here.

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• Fortnite creators will be able to sell items and cosmetics from December 2025
• Until the end of 2026, they'll keep all of the profits, at which point Epic will take a 50% to help fund the game's ecosystem
• Creators can pay to feature their island on Sponsored Row

If there’s one thing you can say about Fortnite, it’s that Epic Games’ massive hit doesn’t stand still for long.

As we wait for the new Power Rangers Megazord to arrive, the developer has confirmed that Fortnite creators and developers who build their own experiences will be able to sell in-game items.

Revealed as part of a Creator Ecosystem Update blog post, Epic announced that as of December, developers will be able to sell items from their own in-game Fortnite islands, skipping the game’s own storefront entirely.

While creators will eventually earn 50% of the value of V-Bucks for items sold, Epic says from December 2025 to the end of 2026, they’ll earn the entirety of that value.

As for how it’ll calculate that value, Epic says “to determine the V-Bucks value in US dollars in a given month, we take all customer real-money spending to purchase V-Bucks (converted to US Dollars), subtract platform and store fees (ranging from 12% on Epic Games Store to 30% on current consoles), and divide it by the total V-Bucks spent by players.”

“Fortnite's average platform and store fees are currently 26% (with specific fees ranging from 12% on the Epic Games Store to 30% on console platforms). So, 50% of V-Bucks value translates to ~37% of retail spending, and 100% of V-Bucks value translates to ~74%.”

Items that can be sold will fit into ‘consumable’ and ‘durable’ categories, with the former including single or limited-use items, and the latter including skins and other cosmetics.

If a creator wants to highlight an item for sale, they can purchase space on Sponsored Row to highlight their island to other users, and Epic says creators will also earn additional revenue from an ‘engagement pool’ which takes into account how long players spend on a creator’s island, how much money is spent there, and how many users stick around.

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The Fortnite Megazord skin arrived September 18, having been delayed out of its initial planned release date (September 16).

Now that a brand new season of Fortnite has launched. There's a completely fresh map to try out, and the addition of a bug-fighting ranking system. There are ranks to rise through in each match, giving you access to progressively more powerful gear.

We've got a while until the next season of Fortnite arrives, but there's plenty to keep us busy until then. It's regular updates like these that continue to keep Fortnite ranked highly in our best free games list.

Here's everything you need to know about the Fortnite Dino Megazord skin, including when it's coming to the game and details on how to unlock it once it's here. As new info is revealed closer to launch, we'll be sure to update this page.

Fortnite Megazord release date

Fortnite's Megazord skin was planned for release on September 16, 2025, but ended up releasing September 18 instead.

The best place to keep up on specific updates closer to the launch of the new season is the Fortnite Status Twitter account. We'll be sure to keep this page up to date as well.

How to unlock the Fortnite Megazord skin

You'll be able to start completing Quests when the update arrives that progress towards the Fortnite Dino Megazord skin. As with previous special skins like Superman, earning XP will slowly unlock more and more rewards.

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• A new Fortnite Festival season starts today
• Its themed around the virtual band Gorillaz
• It introduces a new Music Pass, plus a new bundle, and more

A new Fortnite Festival season drops today and it introduces a collab with the popular virtual band Gorillaz.

The update brings a fresh main stage that features an atmospheric backdrop of city buildings and graffiti.

There will also be a range of Gorillaz items added to the shop, available separately or as part the new Noodle and 2D Bundle based on members of the virtual group.

This includes:

• Noodle Outfit
• Noodle’s Case Back Bling
• DARE Emote
• Noodle’s Axe Guitar
• 2D Outfit
• 2D’s Megaphone Back Bling
• Gorillaz Camo Wrap
• 2D’s Mic
• “DARE” Jam Track
• Bonesy Balloons Contrail

In addition to the bundle, you will also be able to purchase the 'Clint Eastwood' Jam Track.

Of course, it wouldn't be a new Fortnite Festival season without a new Music Pass. The Season 10 Music Pass offers two outfits based on Gorillaz members: the Russel Outfit and Murdoc Outfit.

This is on top of a range of themed cosmetics on the 'On Melancholy Hill' Jam Track.

Some general improvements are also coming as part of the update, such as the addition of a 'Good' note when you're timing is just slightly off from 'Perfect'. You will be able to finally sort your music library by duration or intensity too, which is a very practical change.

You can read the full list of tweaks and learn more about this new season on the official Fortnite website.

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Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 is out now, having launched earlier today (August 7, 2025). It features a Power Rangers collaboration and has new points of interest for players to explore. It's all now been fully released, so here's all of the details on what's changed, and my early impressions of the new update.

Epic Games has been busy teasing the next season of Fortnite over the last week or so, following a Superman-themed live event that completely wrecked Demon's Domain.

Personally, I've really enjoyed Fortnite Super, with a whole heap of super-powered weapons feeling great to use. Things have now switched over, however, with Halo skins instantly unlock able once you get the Battle Pass. In my opinion, the recent changes have absolutely been good enough to keep Fortnite in TechRadar's best free games list.

Here's TechRadar's coverage of the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4, including info on the start time and what's changed in the Power Rangers update. Follow along live as I give my impressions of the new map.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 - cut to the chase

Only have time for the basics? Here are the most important things to know about Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4:

• Start date: August 7
• Theme: Shock 'N Awesome (Power Rangers vs Bad Bugs)
• Battle Pass: Halo Spartans, Bug-themed skins, Power Rangers
• Special Skin: Dino Megazord (September 16)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 downtime

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 downtime triggered at the times below:

• East Coast (US): August 7 at 1:30AM ET
• West Coast (US): August 6 at 10:30AM PT
• United Kingdom: August 7 at 6:30AM BST
• Central Europe: August 7 at 7:30AM CEST
• Australia (Sydney): August 7 at 3:30PM AEST
• Japan (Tokyo): August 7 at 2:30PM JST

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 start time

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 launched at the times listed below:

• East Coast (US): 7:45AM ET
• West Coast (US): 4:45AM PT
• United Kingdom: 12:45PM BST
• Central Europe: 1:45PM CEST
• Australia (Sydney): 9:45PM AEST
• Japan (Tokyo): 8:45PM JST

What to expect from Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4

Epic Games has now fully revealed the next season of Fortnite. We know that Halo and Power Rangers-themed skins will be part of the new 'Shock 'N Awesome' Battle Pass, and I expect the story to follow on from the recent Fortnite Super Showdown live event. This saw a giant tentacled monster spawn in at Demon's Domain. Players took it down with the help of Superman, and now there are severed tentacles around the map.

Another tease appears on the Fortnite X account, showing a new unit called the OXR. This ties into the Bad Bug Invasion theme that's been teased elsewhere. New weapons and bug-themed skins are inbound, and it looks like Demon's Domain will be getting a makeover. Below, you can see the reveal of the Swarmstrike weapon.

Teaser images have featured the phrase "Shock 'N Awesome", which is now confirmed to be the series' main tagline. This points to bug-extermination weapons, and skins based on OXR units, as well as insectoid creatures. Power Rangers are a big part of the update, too, with a Megazord featured in the main promotional material. Here's the Fortnite blog post revealing everything for the new season.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 trailer

The cinematic trailer for Fortnite Shock 'N Awe is now here. It's a live-action showcase in the style of the Power Rangers TV show. We see the Rangers fighting alongside new characters (and Peely) against bug enemies. Below, you'll also find the full reveal trailer:

Fortnite new map

The new Fortnite map can be seen in the image above. There's four new POIs to enjoy: The Hive, Rangers Ruin, OXR HQ, and Swarmy Stash.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 live coverage as it happened

Hello and welcome

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 launches in less than a day, bringing bug battling action to the battle royale mode. I’ll be telling you everything you need to know in the build up to downtime, including a look at timings, Battle Pass skins, and more.

Bad bugs

The rumors were true! Fortnite’s next season sees a bug invasion coming to the island. Luckily, the Power Rangers are on the team to help, and they’re powered up with new weapons and the mighty Dino Megazord. There’s a new faction called the OXR on their way, with awesome grey and orange armor, and explosive weapons perfect for taking down bugs.

When does downtime start?

According to the Battle Pass, Fortnite Super downtime is expected at the following times:

• East Coast (US): August 7 at 1:30AM ET
• West Coast (US): August 6 at 10:30AM PT
• United Kingdom: August 7 at 6:30AM BST
• Central Europe: August 7 at 7:30AM CEST
• Australia (Sydney): August 7 at 3:30PM AEST
• Japan (Tokyo): August 7 at 2:30PM JST

New weapons inbound

We now know of three new weapons coming in the next season of Fortnite. The first is an OXR minigun, and then there’s the assault rifle pictured in the image above. In addition, there’s the Swarmstrike: a multi-rocket launcher that has laser targeting. Expect these to be part of the new loot pool when Shock ‘N Awesome arrives.

Power Rangers in all their live action glory

Epic Games has released a live action trailer for the Power Rangers collaboration coming next season. It’s filmed just like the TV show, with loads of backflips and sparking explosions as the Rangers join the fight. I absolutely love the care that’s been put into this, and as a ‘90s kid, it all really takes me back to toy commercials and cartoons I watched as a kid.

Full reveal trailer just dropped

We now have the full reveal trailer for Fortnite Shock 'N Awesome. We see Halo vehicles and skins, all new weapons, and a huge battle between a giant bug and the Dino Megazord. Check it out above.

Make the most of Fortnite Super

There’s a new quest following the events of the Fortnite Super Showdown live event that aired over the weekend (August 2). You’ll need to visit the tentacle outside Demon’s Domain. It’s bouncy too! You’ll want to make the most of the final hours of the current season, so focus on quests if you’re set on unlocking some of the later Battle Pass skins.

Unlock the Superman Outfit while you still can

There’s still time to unlock the Superman Outfit in Fortnite. It has a separate Battle Pass track, though it’s included with purchase of the main pass. You just need to earn levels while playing, and eventually you’ll get the Superman skin pictured above.

Supernova Academy Quests are easy to complete

If you’re looking for a way to earn a bunch of XP before the next season, consider working through the Supernova Academy quests. They mostly involve visiting different locations, speaking to NPCs, and using superhero weapons. You can also visit Midas around the map for some easy XP.

New Battle Pass skins

The new Battle Pass skins can be viewed in the image above. There's the White Ranger, a Spartan, a Panda with a katana made from Bamboo, and an OXR officer. Looks like the White/Green Ranger will be the highest tier unlock, and then we'll see a Dino Megazord skin in September.

New map fully revealed

Looks like we're getting four new POIs with the new map: Swarmy Stash, OXR HQ, Rangers Ruin, and The Hive. You'll be able to head to The Hive if you want to battle swarms of bugs, or land at OXR HQ to purchase weapons in exchange for Gold.

An Iconic Power Rangers weapon

The Blade Blaster will arrive mid-season, giving players a new sidearm that fires lasers, and can be charged for more powerful damage blasts. This one will likely launch alongside the Megazord in mid-September, but we'll have to wait for an official release date announcement.

That's all for today

Goodbye for now. I'll be back on just before downtime kicks in, covering Epic Games taking Fortnite offline, and updating once it's all ready to play. Once Chapter 6 Season 4 is here, you'll be able to follow along live as I give early impressions of the new season.

Welcome back

I'm here to cover the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4. The game is now in downtime, so we'll need to wait a bit until things are switched back on. Once they are, you can follow along live as I give my early impressions of the new season.

Downtime has just started

Fortnite just went into downtime, with matchmaking now disabled for all players. I'd expect it to last 2-3 hours, though in the past this has varied a bit. Stay tuned for updates on when the game is back online.

You won't need the Battle Pass to unlock the Halo skin

Players who reach Level 100 will be able to unlock the UNSC Spartan skin for free, without needing to purchase the Battle Pass. This can be done from August 26.

You can pre-load the new season

Fortnite can be updated while you wait for downtime to end. You'll want to do so, given that it's a pretty big download, especially on PC. On PS5, my update file size was 27.413GB, so make sure to check on your chosen platform, so you can be ready for when servers re-open.

First look at the Green Ranger

Epic Games has shared an image of the Green Ranger skin that's included in the Fortnite Battle Pass. Other Power Rangers will be added as skins via the Store, and the White Ranger is in the Pass also.

New bug medallions

There's three new medallions to track down in Fortnite Battle Royale:

• Defeat the Queen at The Hive to receive the Mythic Enhanced Wrecker Revolver and Surge Medallion, which increases movement speed and gives a burst of speed when sliding.
• Defeat the Queen at Ranger’s Ruin to receive the Mythic Tactical Shotgun and Springleg Medallion, which gives you the ability to double jump, with fall damage immunity.
• Defeat the Queen at Demon’s Domain to receive the Mythic O.X.R. Assault Rifle and Carapace Medallion which gives 50 Health when you eliminate an opponent, and passively gives 3 Shield per second up to 50 Shield.

Queen bugs are taller than buildings

Queen bugs are the largest Fortnite enemy we've seen for a while, some taller than buildings. They'll spawn after you've taken down a bug nest, and will continuously summon smaller bugs to fight you until you take down the Queen.

Fortnite is still down

We're now a little over an hour into Fortnite downtime. I'd expect another hour at least, so stay tuned for updates.

Fortnite "servers not responding" error

Once you've downloaded the latest Fortnite update, you'll be able to load up the game. Unfortunately, you'll be greeted with the "servers not responding" error message. This is totally normal, and just a sign that the game is now in downtime. It started 90 minutes ago, so hopefully we don't have too long to wait now.

Brand new Exotic weapons to try out

There's a bunch of new exotic weapons to find on the new Fortnite map. Here's what's available:

• Eradicator O.X.R. Rifle: After successfully hitting an enemy, its damage ramps up with subsequent successful hits.
• Double Trouble: Two shotguns that can be double-pumped (swapped between with no delay).
• Shock n’ Slow Shockwave Launcher: Lobs Shockwave Grenades that cause a slowdown effect mid-air to both enemies and allies.
• Marksman Wrecker Revolver: Wrecker Revolver but with a higher hip fire rate and headshot multiplier.
• Exotic Slap Berry Fizz: Flowberry Fizz that also grants Slap.

Two hours into downtime. When is Fortnite coming back online?

We're now two hours into downtime. In the last couple of seasons, downtime has lasted 2-3 hours. This means that the game could go live any minute. I'll update once it does.

Roly Poly movement

The Roly Poly item will be added midseason, allowing players to roll and bounce around the map. This will be a major upgrade to movement, especially useful in Zero Build modes.

Welcome to the O.X.R

Every player will have an OXR rank this season. It can be increased during a match to grant access to better and better gear, much like the Supernova ranking from last season. Once you rank up, a drop pod will be sent to your location.

Game services are still "under maintenance"

I'm keeping an eye on the Fortnite server status, and things are very much still under maintenance. You can see this in the screenshot above. It shouldn't be too long until things are back online, however.

Head to OXR HQ to purchase weapons

OXR HQ is a new map POI in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4. It's where you'll find the new faction, who will sell you weapons in exchange for Gold bars. Could be a good drop spot.

That's three hours of downtime

Fortnite has now been in downtime for three hours. It's looking like maintenance may take a little longer than we expected. Keep this page handy, as I'll update as soon as the game is back online.

Fortnite OG map revealed

Fortnite OG is also getting a new Season this week. Tomorrow, players will be able to jump into Season 5 tomorrow, and we've now seen the new map.

Dino Megazord skin releases next month

The Dino Megazord skin won't be available once Fortnite Shock 'N Awesome launches later today. Instead, it'll arrive on September 16, and can be earned by completing Quests.

That's four hours of downtime!

We just reached four hours of downtime, it's looking like it'll be a long one. On the server status page, downtime is now estimated at five hours on the longer end. So hopefully not too long to go.

All Power Rangers skins

As you can see in the image above, the Red Ranger, Blue Ranger, Pink Ranger, Yellow Ranger and the Black Ranger will be available as skins in Fortnite. These will be added to the store, while the Green Ranger and the White Ranger can be earned via the Battle Pass.

Free Back Bling with any store purchase

Make any purchase in the Fortnite web Item Shop during Chapter 6 Season 4 and you’ll instantly receive the Goldskull Peel Pack Back Bling! You can check it out in the image above.

Has downtime ended?

Fortnite is still under maintenance, and has been for the last five hours. By my estimates, we should be minutes away from the game going back online. This is based on the estimate currently shown on the Fortnite server status webpage. Hopefully we'll be able to jump into the new season sooner rather than later.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 servers are still offline

The new season of Fortnite is still under maintenance. I'm keeping my eyes locked to the Fortnite Status X account for updates, as we've now blown past the estimated time for the new season.

Fortnite severs are back online!

The new season of Fortnite is now live. You can jump in to check out the Battle Pass, and then visit the new map locations. I'll be heading to The Hive to see how the new bug enemies are.

The Battle Pass is live

You can now purchase the Battle Pass and get to work unlocking skins and other items. There's a bunch of new Quests to help you get some XP early as well.

Ranger's Ruin is a great drop spot

My first landing was at Ranger's Ruin. There were bug nests to destroy, and then a Queen boss fight. I had to clear out a few players, but at the end of it all I had a very good loadout indeed. This included a Legendary Sweeper Shotgun.

That's all from me!

I've now played a few games of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4. I'm really enjoying the new weapons, especially the giant minigun, which is great for shredding vehicles. Hopefully, the new Roly Poly item arrives soon, as more movement options would be great. Bye for now!

Super Showdown was the Fortnite live event happening in the main battle royale mode. It aired earlier today (August 2), and involved Superman leading players in a climactic fight against a gigantic foe.

The next Season of Fortnite arrives next week, so hopefully today's event will give us some idea as to what'll be involved in the next major update. It's regular changes like these that consistently keep Fortnite ranked highly in our best PC games list.

I've now played hundreds of hours of Fortnite Chapter 6, from the month-long Star Wars mini-season, and into the superhero shenanigans of Fortnite Super. I'm excited to be covering the Fortnite Super Showdown event live, and will be now giving my impressions following the show's epic conclusion.

Here's everything you need to know about Fortnite Super Showdown. Now that it's over, I'll be giving my thoughts on what worked, and what could have been better. Let's get started.

Fortnite Super Showdown live event start time

The Fortnite Super Showdown live event started August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT / 7:30pm BST. Players could load in once doors opened at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 2PM ET
• West Coast (US): 11AM PT
• United Kingdom: 7PM BST
• Central Europe: 8PM CEST
• Sydney (Australia): 4AM AEST, August 3
• Tokyo (Japan): 3AM JST, August 3

How to join the Fortnite live event

You'll need to jump into the main Fortnite playlist at the times specified above if you'd like to join Super Showdown live. Alternatively, you could follow along with your streamer of choice, as many will no doubt be covering the event.

I'll be jumping into the event to live blog it as it unfolds, so be sure to check back in with this page if you can't jump into the game when the event is actually happening. Unfortunately, Epic Games doesn't stream Fortnite events on its official channels.

What to expect from Fortnite Super Showdown

Epic Games has only released one short teaser trailer for Super Showdown. It shows Demon's Domain being destroyed by pink and red electricity, and red energy fields that look suspiciously like those we saw at the end of the recent Fortnite OG rocket launch event. Then, we see a huge eye attached to what looks to be a giant tentacle.

We do know that Superman will return to fight whatever this huge tentacled foe is, and that players will head to Demon's Domain to provide support. To me, that certainly looks to be a kraken-like creature, so it could be that Superman is set for quite the battle during the event.

Live coverage as it happened

Hello and welcome

We’re now just two hours away from the start of Fortnite Super Showdown. I’ll be covering the build up live, providing all of the info you need on the upcoming superpowered event. Once doors open, I’ll be jumping in, and then you can follow along as the main show plays out.

When does the Super Showdown start?

Fortnite Super Showdown kicks off at 2:30PM ET / 11:30AM PT / 7:30PM BST. It’s recommended that you jump online and into Fortnite when doors open 15 minutes prior. Servers will fill up fast, so be sure to secure your spot.

Where we dropping?

You’ll want to drop into Demon’s Domain to witness Fortnite Super Showdown. It’s likely that there will be a safe zone in effect, meaning damage will be switched off. This means you’ll be able to stay safe, secure your view, and get ready for the action to start.

Look up!

Superman will be the main star of Super Showdown, though we don’t have the full details just yet. Seeing as there’s a gigantic tentacled enemy to take down, I’m definitely happy to have Supes on the team.

Just 90 minutes until doors open

Doors for Fortnite Super Showdown open at 2PM ET / 11AM PT / 7PM BST. Make sure to load in, make sure your game is updated, and secure your spot in the matchmaking queue. It’s likely to be a busy one.

Is that a kraken?

Epic Games released a short teaser trailer for Fortnite Super Showdown earlier this week. It ends with a look at a gigantic enemy with eyes fixed to big purple tentacles. Could this be a kraken? We’ll have to wait and see.

Demon’s Domain will be taking a hit

You can check out the Super Showdown teaser trailer embedded above. Looks like a big purple laser is going to hit Demon’s Domain, destroying one of the main buildings. This is likely related to the arrival of the giant enemy we’ll be fighting, and could give a hint as to what’s to follow next season.

Just one hour until Fortnite Super Showdown

There’s just one hour to go before Fortnite Super Showdown begins! You’ll be able to jump in fifteen minutes prior, when servers go live. We don’t yet know how long the event will be, but generally they’re around ten minutes.

My hopes and predictions

It’s clear to me that Super Showdown is primarily going to be a Superman story event. We’ll likely see Superman fighting a large enemy, as players battle smaller creatures, and shoot weak points on the large tentacles shown in the teaser. I’m hoping to see Demon’s Domain change in some way after the battle, perhaps setting the scene for the arrival of Chapter 6 Season 4.

You’ll be able to load into the Fortnite live event in 15 minutes

We’re just 15 minutes away from the Fortnite Super Showdown doors opening. Make sure you’ve downloaded the latest update, and keep an eye on the main Battle Royale channels for when things switch over.

Doors are open!

You can now join the Fortnite live event. Just head to the main homepage and look for your main battle royale mode of choice. Jump into the lobby and load in. You’ll be aiming for Demon’s Domain to enjoy the show.

Respawns are active around Demon's Domain

Head to the pink barriers around Demon's Domain, and you'll find floating red orbs that drop loot. There's a safe zone of sorts, though I've found that I can damage some players. Don't worry though, respawns are in effect, so you won't get eliminated if you're killed.

Five minutes until Super Showdown

It's just five minutes until the start of the event. Make sure to load in now and get to Demon's Domain if you want to join live.

And we're off!

Super Showdown has started, and it's all kicking off at Demon's Domain. There's a ton of loot to pick up, so make sure to get yourself well stocked for the battle ahead. Daigo has arrived, and has triggered a huge portal.

A comic book strip

A comic book strip is now playing out in a cutscene, as we all fight a huge tentacle.

It's gonna take everyone working together to take down the monster

The enemy has a huge life bar, even with everyone shooting at it, it's gonna be tough to take down.

That's the first tentacle down

We've taken down the first tentacle, and all is now quiet in Demon's Domain. Looks like the rest of the monster is about to appear any second.

Superman joins the fight

Superman has swooped in to cut away more tentacles. Looks like the monster will be defeated in no time.

The event is now over

Looks like Super Showdown is over. There's now a tentacle that you can visit on the map, just outside Demon's Domain. It's bouncy too.

So, what did you think?

Super Showdown ended up being pretty much what I expected from a midseason Fortnite event. The pre-event lobby could have been better, as the only thing to do while waiting was shoot at red orbs. Still, it's always cool to face off against a giant monster with the rest of the players, and the comic book effects looked great in the cutscenes.

That's all folks!

That concludes my live coverage of Fortnite Super Showdown. It was a fun time, and probably the last we'll see of Superman for a while. We don't have long until the launch of the next Season, so until then, have fun with the rest of Fortnite Super!

• Fortnite's Super Showdown event officially kicks off on August 2, 2025
• The Chapter 6 Season 3 finale event will star Superman against a mysterious foe
• The live event takes place a few days before the current season ends on August 8, 2025

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is almost at an end, but players can still look forward to the Super Showdown finale event that will take place just a few days before the season officially comes to a close.

Epic Games has confirmed that Super Showdown will begin on August 2, 2025, at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (August 1) / 7:30pm BST. However, doors officially open 2pm ET / 11:00am PT (August 1) / 7pm BST, giving players enough time to jump in early before the finale kicks off.

We don't know the specifics of the event yet, but the teaser trailer reveals an upcoming battle that will star Superman against a mysterious kraken-like monster that has tentacles and multiple eyes. We also know that it will take place at Demon's Domain.

Super Showdown will be a live event, which means it will be a one-time, exclusive Fortnite experience. You won't want to miss it.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 officially ends on August 8, though Chapter 6 Season 4 has yet to receive a release date.

Recently, Fortnite kicked off the Fantastic Four Cup, a Battle Royale Squads competition, featuring earnable skins and other goodies inspired by the MCU's latest superhero film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The event began on July 23, giving players the chance to climb the leaderboards and get their hands on limited-time Outfits based on Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing.

The same skins later became available in the game's Item Shop on July 25.

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Fortnite is running the Super Showdown event later this week (August 2), and so far we know that it'll involve Superman in a big way. This is the latest in a string of live events that've been airing in Fortnite this year, and I'm expecting it to lead nicely into Season 4.

We're currently in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, a superhero-themed affair that adds super-powered items and a completely new ranking system. The next season of Fortnite is just around the corner, however, so the game will be getting a big refresh very soon indeed. It's regular updates like these that have kept Fortnite firmly ranked in our best free games to play in 2025 list.

Here's what you need to know about Fortnite Super Showdown, including the start time and how to watch it on the day. It's a live Story Event, and it's set to be a Superman-led battle against a gigantic foe. Let's dive in.

Fortnite Super Showdown - cut to the chase

• Start time: August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (August 1) / 7:30pm BST
• Doors open: August 2 at 2pm ET / 11:00am PT (August 1) / 7pm BST
• Summary: Superman Story Event in Battle Royale

Fortnite Super Showdown event start time

Fortnite Super Showdown will start on August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (August 1) / 7:30m BST. Doors will open half an hour prior, and it's recommended that you jump in at the following times to secure your place:

• East Coast US: 2pm ET (August 2)
• West Coast US: 11am PT (August 1)
• UK time: 7pm BST (August 2)

Fortnite Super Showdown - how to watch it live

Fortnite Super Showdown is a live event that'll begin at the times specified earlier in this article. If you want to watch it live, you can jump in yourself, and there will likely be a safe zone around Demon's Domain where players won't be able to eliminate each other.

If you can't log in yourself, TechRadar Gaming will be covering the event as part of a live blog (as we did recently with the Fortnite OG rocket launch). I'll be giving my impressions as they happen, and providing up-to-date info on how the event is unfolding. You can also join your Twitch or YouTube streamer of choice, as there'll no doubt be many streaming the event. Note that Epic Games doesn't broadcast these events live on its official channels.

Fortnite Super Showdown teaser trailer

The Fortnite X channel tweeted out a teaser trailer for the upcoming Super Showdown event (embedded above). In it, we see the eye of a giant creature, which many believe to be a kraken. Then, the current map is shown with Demon's Domain highlighted as the main location for the event.

Fortnite Super Showdown Story Event - what to expect

Fortnite Super Showdown will feature a giant battle between Superman and an as-yet unrevealed foe. We know that it's a huge enemy with a big white eye, and many fans are predicting it to be a kraken. Other than that, we know that it'll all take place in Demon's Domain and will likely give some teases as to what's coming next in Chapter 6.

Epic Games will probably reveal more closer to launch, and once it does, I'll be sure to update this page.

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Fortnite OG ran its first ever live event earlier today (July 26, 2025). It was a recreation of the rocket launch that happened all the way back in 2018, which culminated in the first appearance of the crack in the sky that has now become a mainstay of the game.

Now that Fortnite OG is a permanent mode, we can look forward to a new Fortnite OG season launching in early August. Before then, there's regular updates that add new weapons into the loot pool. So far, this season has really switched things up, and it's been a real treat to revisit Risky Reels and Dusty Divot. It's changes like these that have kept Fortnite well and truly cemented as one of the best free games to play in 2025.

Here's TechRadar Gaming's coverage of the Fortnite OG rocket launch live event as it happened. Now that the rocket launch is over, I'll be giving my impressions of what to expect from the end of Season 4.

Fortnite OG Blast Off live event start time

Fortnite OG's Blast Off live event took place on July 26 at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 7pm BST. Players could load into a match twenty minutes prior to the event, and wait with damage and storm circles deactivated.

Fortnite OG Blast Off event duration

The original rocket launch event in Fortnite only lasted a few minutes, and the redo was no different. This was par for the course in older seasons of Fortnite.

How to watch the Fortnite OG rocket launch event

To watch the Fortnite OG rocket launch event, make sure to load into the game 30 minutes before the specified start time. Select Fortnite OG and wait for the event to start.

It's possible that there may be a separate playlist, which will go live prior to the event. Then, you just need to sit back and find a place to watch.

With the rocket launch, you'll be able to look up into the skies to see the rocket get intercepted. Last time, you were given a sort of floating drone view of things, so shouldn't have to worry about missing anything.

Live coverage as it happened

Let's launch a rocket!

Hello and welcome to my live coverage of Fortnite OG's Blast Off event. I'll be giving my impressions as the event happens, detailing the event that starts in just over an hour.

Here's the key info

Fortnite OG will air its first ever live event at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 7pm BST. It's a recreation of the rocket launch that happened back in 2018, and we should see the spacefaring craft get intercepted and thrown through multiple rifts.

How to watch the rocket launch

You'll be able to jump into Fortnite OG and watch the rocket launch live. Make sure you get in a little early, I'd recommend half an hour, just to make sure you get your place in the queue.

Blast Off event - Live Soon

If you head into Fortnite OG now, you'll see a pop up message indicating that the Blast Off event will soon go live. We'll have to wait and see whether there's a separate playlist, or if the event will just naturally trigger during matches.

You can still play Fortnite OG while you wait

Fortnite OG won't be experiencing any downtime around the rocket launch, so you can still hop in and play. We're currently on Season 4

Just 45 minutes to go!

The Fortnite OG Blast Off event will begin in just 45 minutes. Make sure your game is updated to the latest version, and select a Fortnite OG playlist to get entry into a match once the show starts.

Fortnite original rocket launch

The original rocket launch happened in Fortnite during Season 4. This was the season that ran in 2018, so it's been a while since players were able to witness the now iconic event.

Last time, the rocket launched, and players could watch it climb up high into the skies above the island. Then, a transmission from The Visitor played out, and the rocket was intercepted. The rocket travelled through multiple rift portals before leaving a huge crack in the sky.

20 minutes to go!

Fortnite OG's Blast Off rocket launch will start in 20 minutes. I'll be jumping into a match 15 minutes beforehand to see if there's a safe zone of any kind. Stay tuned!

Matchmaking Error (#1)

It seems Fortnite OG servers are currently overloaded, as players are being greeted with a Matchmaking Error (#1) message. Keep trying to load in, hopefully servers will be opened up closer to the event. I had the error previously, but got in eventually, so keep trying!

Damage has been turned off

It seems as if the storm circle and player damage have been turned off for the event. You won't have to worry about surviving long enough to see the rocket launch then.

Just 1 minute to go!

Get yourself a good view of the rocket launch. Sit back, and enjoy the show!

We have liftoff!

The rocket has launched, and is now soaring up towards space. We'll have to see whether The Visitor interferes this time around.

The final rift is red this time around!

It appears that the Blast Off event played out precisely as before, except for one key detail. The crack that appeared in the sky at the end is red this time, rather than blue. We'll have to see what this means, but it's clear that Epic Games has some tricks up its sleeves.

A red butterfly

Just before the rocket launch, I saw a red butterfly appear and circle around my character. This matches the color of the rift crack that appeared at the end of the event.

So, what's next?

Fortnite OG Season 4 still lasts until August 8, 2025. If things follow the pattern of the original run, we'll start to see rifts appearing around the island, in the aftermath of the Blast Off event. These rifts will pull objects out of the island and replace them with objects from other worlds. This all leads into Season 5, which will have the theme of "Worlds Collide".

Looks like the crack in the sky is here to stay

In my matches following the Blast Off event, I've seen the red crack permanently in the sky. This will stick around til Season 5 at the very least. Hopefully we'll find out why it's red sooner rather than later.

That's all for now

That concludes TechRadar Gaming's live coverage of the Fortnite OG rocket launch event. I'm now setting my sights on August 8, 2025, which will see Fortnite OG Season 5 launch. The main battle royale mode will be switching seasons too, and I'm excited to see what's next for Fortnite. Bye for now!

• The next Fortnite collaboration adds a collection inspired by The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• New outfits will be added to the Item Shop on July 25, but can be obtained by competing in the Fantastic Four Cup on July 23
• Outfits, emotes, and sprays inspired by Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing will be available

Epic Games has announced that the next Fortnite crossover will be in collaboration with the MCU's The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

A collection of goodies inspired by The Fantastic Four will arrive in the game's Item Shop just in time for the movie's release on July 25, 2025, including limited-time Outfits based on Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing.

Players will also have the opportunity to unlock all four in the Fantastic Four Cup, a Battle Royale Squads Cup, which is taking place on July 23.

"Show off your superhuman skills by being among the top points-earning squads in your region. If you do, you'll unlock the Outfits for the Human Torch, The Thing, Mister Fantastic, and Invisible Woman," Epic Games said.

During the Fantastic Four Cup, you can also unlock the 'It's Clobberin' Time Spray' by surviving 60 minutes in the match, and the 'Flame On!' emoticon by surviving 120 minutes.

In addition, the top points-earning squads will unlock all four Outfits, including Johnny Storm, which comes with his built-in 'Flame On!' emote, allowing him to transform into his alternative Style, the Human Torch. Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, will also have an alt style.

The Johnny Storm Outfit also comes with the Torch's Flame Pickaxe, Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, comes with the Fantastic Fists Pickaxe, and comes with the 'Fantastic Calculations' emote, while Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman, will have a built-in Psionic Orbs Pickaxe.

During the Fantastic Four Cup on July 23, competitors can play up to ten matches within their region's three-hour time window. The specific event timing for each region can be found in the 'Compete' tab in-game.

For scoring and match placement details, you can check out the official Fantastic Four Cup rules.

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• The Epic Games Store summer sale is here
• Users can claim a free copy of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6: Platinum Edition
• It's available until July 24, 2025

The Epic Games Store summer sale has landed, with savings on some of this year's top titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Assassin's Creed Shadows. Shoppers can also claim 20% Epic Rewards on purchases made using Epic's payment system, giving you some left over to spend on even more games.

To celebrate, Epic Games Store users can claim a free PC copy of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6: Platinum Edition which usually costs $79.99 / £68.99.

Considered one of the greatest strategy games of all time, Civilization 6 sees you competing to grow a historical civilization in a board-game like world.

Random map generation and countless playable leaders with their own unique perks and abilities make it a highly replayable game, and one that I have spent more than 260 hours in on PC alone.

This Platinum Edition version is also overflowing with included downloadable content (DLC). You get Vikings Scenario Pack, Poland Civilization & Scenario Pack, Australia Civilization & Scenario Pack, Persia and Macedon Civilization & Scenario Pack, Nubia Civilization & Scenario Pack, and Khmer and Indonesia Civilization & Scenario Pack.

These all add new playable leaders or in-game challenges and, if that wasn't enough, you even get the full Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm expansions. These not only introduce new leaders and challenges, but a wealth of new mechanics that make the experience even more enjoyable and realistic.

The game is only available for free for a limited time, so make sure you snap it up before July 24, 2025.

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• Fortnite's Blitz Royale mode has been extended by four weeks
• Starting July 15, new weekly updates will be added that will include new abilities, locations, and surprise collaborations
• Fans are hoping that this means Epic is considering making the mode permanent

Epic Games has extended Fortnite's Blitz Royale play period by four more weeks, making fans wonder if the studio plans on making the mode a permanent feature.

Blitz Royale, a fast-paced, 32-player version of regular Battle Royale matches that only last for five minutes, was added to the game last month. But what was sure to be a limited-time game mode could potentially stick around for good.

In a new social media post, Epic Games announced that "four more weeks of updates" are on the way, with the first beginning on July 15.

The developer also teased that new abilities, locations, like Mega City, and surprise collaborations will be dropping over the next month.

With Epic Games extending the Blitz Royale, players are curious to see if this means the game mode will become a permanent fixture of the popular online shooter.

"I love Blitz, it should definitely remain permanent. Wonder if it’ll come to FN as a permanent mode for next season," one user said on the game's subreddit.

It seems that the developer is already considering it, because earlier this month, it released a poll on X / Twitter asking fans what changes they'd like to see besides "make Blitz permanent".

The options include new points of interest, more collaboration items, new Boons and Powers, and "more Megalo Don plz", suggesting that improvements to the game mode are already in the works.

Epic has yet to detail the content of the next month of Blitz Royale, but those who have missed out will be able to jump in in the coming days.

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• Proton has joined a US lawsuit against Apple over anti-competitive practices
• The suit seeks both changes in the App Store ecosystem and monetary damages
• On April 30, 2025, a US judge found Apple guilty of violating the 2021 Epic Games case federal injunction over illegal monopoly

Swiss privacy firm Proton has sued Apple over anti-competitive practices that, the company warns, undermine freedom and democracy, hurt privacy-first companies, and lead to a worse user experience.

The provider behind one of the best VPN, secure email, encrypted calendar, and password manager services, Proton, has joined an existing class-action lawsuit in the US against Apple on Monday, June 30, 2025.

The suit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks changes in the App Store ecosystem as well as monetary damages. The latter, Proton said, will be donated to organizations fighting for democracy and human rights via the nonprofit behind the company, Proton Foundation.

Why Proton is suing Apple

"Apple’s monopoly control of software distribution on iOS devices presents a myriad of problems for consumers, businesses, and society as a whole," wrote Proton in a blog post.

"Anti-monopoly laws exist because the power gifted by monopoly status inevitably leads to abuse. In the case of oligarchic tech giants, these abuses have wide implications for society, and it’s vital to the future of the internet that they be addressed now."

Specifically, Proton claims that Apple's policies favor a surveillance capitalism model that hurts privacy and privacy-first companies.

Apple not only requires all developers to pay an annual fee to be in the App Store, but it also takes a 30% cut from all subscription payments made through iOS apps.

On April 30, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found this behavior to violate her federal injunction over illegal monopoly issued in 2021 in the Epic Games case.

The Big Tech giant was indeed supposed to halt anti-competitive practices by giving third-party developers more power to redirect users to cheaper non-Apple payment options.

On that occasion, Proton's Founder and CEO, Andy Yen, said that the company could lower its pricing by up to 30% if Apple were finally forced to remove its tax on the App Store.

Proton also warns that Apple's total control of the App Store endangers app distribution across different markets.

"Apple argues this control is necessary for security reasons. But the reality is that this has made Apple the single point of failure for free speech and a tool of dictatorships," said the provider.

In 2024 alone, for example, Apple has removed at least 60 VPN apps from Russia's App Store at the request of authorities, for a total of nearly 100 applications unavailable in Apple's market in Russia.

Researchers at AppleCensorship also found a staggering 11,026 unavailable apps in China's App Store, which affect sensitive categories like virtual private network (VPN) – ProtonVPN included – other privacy software (like ProtonMail, Signal, and DuckDuckGo), news apps, social media, and even dating applications.

Proton also accuses Apple of "intentionally crippling third-party apps that compete with Apple services," ultimately delivering Apple users a worse internet experience.

For example, Apple allegedly prevents users from using the Proton Calendar app as a default option, Proton said, despite this interoperability being available for email services.

What's next?

As mentioned earlier, Proton has joined an existing lawsuit that was filed on May 23 against Apple by a group representing Korean app developers.

Yet, the lawsuit isn't just about money. The decision to join this legal action against such a tech behemoth, Proton said, stems from the commitment to improve the state of the internet by changing Apple App Store policies once and for all.

"We are seeking to permanently end anti-competitive behavior on the App Store, and we are joining this lawsuit to ensure that any future settlement enforces real changes to Apple’s practices and policies to benefit all consumers, developers, and competition, and not just cosmetic changes," said Proton.

We approached Apple for comments, but we're still waiting for a response at the time of publication.

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Launching alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2 is quite simply the same game, but better. Bless developer and publisher Epic Games for trying, but Fortnite on the original Nintendo Switch is hardly the most elegant way to play and feels like you’re at a significant disadvantage thanks to the decreased graphical fidelity, framerate, and draw distance. It’s forgivable on handheld, but with TV mode, it looks rough and feels rougher. But I’m glad to say the Nintendo Switch 2 edition is a great way to play, no matter where you are.

I mean, what can you even say about Fortnite at this point? Epic Games’ 100-person Battle Royale game has taken over the world over the last eight years, and it’s only grown larger in the time since. In the vein of something like Roblox, Fortnite is both a battle royale and a user-generated game platform where you can find an endless amount of custom maps to play with your friends on.

But let's get into why the Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is such a great way to play.

Chug jug with you

To really hammer that “you can play Fortnite without even touching its main mode” point home, I don’t like Battle Royale – the marquee mode – thanks to the game's building mechanics. However, when it comes to the Zero Build mode, it’s undoubtedly the best Battle Royale game on the market right now. Over the years, Epic has augmented the core mechanics of the game with a host of new movement options like wall kicking and roll landing that keep things fluid in what used to be the jankiest of movement systems.

Of course, the problem with any ‘evolving game’ is that it’s tough to give a review of the main mode because of how it changes. Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 was peak, while Chapter 4 and Chapter 5’s third seasons were two of the absolute worst seasons of a live service game I’ve played. This means there could be three-month stretches where you just simply don’t like the game. And considering Epic Games has been experimenting with seasons based around media franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and a rumored upcoming Simpsons season, if you don’t like those, that’s all you get for months.

Outside of that, there are the Epic Games-created modes. There’s Fortnite OG, which brings back the original Chapter 1 map (which can also be played in Zero Build, thankfully); Reload, which is a faster-paced 40-player battle; and Ballistic, a first-person mode that is a take on Counter-Strike. While none of these stand up to the core mode, they offer different ways to take on the mechanics of Fortnite and are solid games in their own right.

Then there are non-shooting modes like the Minecraft-inspired Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and the best side mode, Fortnite Festival, which is a rhythm game mode and the closest thing we’ll get to a new Rock Band game, considering it was developed by Guitar Hero and Rock Band creator Harmonix. This mode gets constantly updated with songs and artists, with a new singer taking center stage with a skin and big song drop every few months or so (with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Metallica, and Hatsune Miku showing up).

And despite having so many options, the player base for each main mode is really healthy, meaning you’ll never wait too long to find a game of anything, with some custom games even having dedicated player bases. A few of these Epic-made modes have their own seasons and battle passes, too, which does add up if you don’t subscribe to the Fortnite Crew. However, Epic recently changed it so XP earned in any mode goes towards every single pass, which is a massive step up.

Mouse trap

Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2 is the same game as it is everywhere else; there are no exclusive modes or anything of the sort. However, thanks to the use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s feature set and specs, it's one of the best ways to play the game on console and by far the best handheld version of Fortnite.

Compared to the Nintendo Switch version, which ran at 880p docked and 660p in handheld mode, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition runs at 1224p docked and 900p in handheld, so it still isn’t 4K / 1080p, but it is a significant boost. However, the resolution isn’t where the upgrade matters; the improved textures as well as a far greater draw distance, which was one of the original console’s biggest hindrances – especially with how big the Fortnite map is. Most importantly, Fortnite Nintendo Switch 2 Edition runs at a solid 60fps as opposed to the 30fps of the Nintendo Switch – which in an online shooter that has cross-play with more powerful platforms – makes a world of difference.

Gyro aiming returns from the Nintendo Switch edition of Fortnite, but new to the Switch 2 version is support for mouse controls via the Joy-Con 2 controllers. Effectively, this allows you to use a mouse setup for aiming with the movement capabilities of an analogue stick, and is a wonderful combination.

However, the mouse implementation is a touch awkward. Due to the lack of buttons available, you’ll still need to access the face buttons on your Joy-Con to jump and reload, which creates some uncomfortable moments as you crane your hand. Plus, the mouse controls need to be activated from the in-game menu, as opposed to just sticking the Joy-Con in mouse position like in other games.

This isn’t the biggest pain in the world, but it doesn’t revert back once you use a controller that doesn’t support mouse controls (such as attaching your Joy-Con 2 to the Switch 2 itself), which means you’ll need to get the controller off and go through the menu with the mouse to deactivate it.

Fortnite is a phenomenon for a reason; if you let yourself get by the “popular game bad” noise that you often see with this and the likes of Call of Duty, you’ll find what is probably the best Battle Royale game in the genre. And even outside of that, it’s a massive game platform that has an endless supply of whatever you like, from racing, rhythm games, and even custom Fall Guys games.

However, the risks of an ongoing game persist because you’ll occasionally be hit with a season that makes the game bad for months, and there’s not much you can do to help it.

Having said that, Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2 is easily the best way to play on the go or on a handheld device, and while it’s outclassed in power by the PS5 and Xbox versions when it comes to TV mode, it’s still solid to look at, and the mouse controls give it an edge that those consoles don’t have.

Should you play Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

Fortnite has a ton of accessibility options, including multiple color blindness filters, the ability to remap controls however you like, alongside multiple control options like gyro aiming and mouse controls.

A standout feature is the visual sound effects toggle, which displays a ring around your character to indicate the source of sound effects and their corresponding representations (footsteps, loot, gunfire, etc.). This is particularly beneficial for those with hearing difficulties or when playing the game with the sound muted.

How I reviewed Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2

I played around eight hours of Fortnite for Nintendo Switch 2 on top of a good 300-400 hours played across PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch. During my time with the Nintendo Switch 2 edition, I tested Zero Build mode, Fortnite Festival and a number of custom games.

I played this in a mixture of handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and on a Samsung Q60D TV and a Samsung HW-T450 soundbar using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Joy-Con 2 controllers when using mouse mode.

First reviewed June 2025

A Fortnite Superman skin is set to be added this week, based on the new version as featured in James Gunn's Superman. Interestingly, players can actually unlock the skin now, though there will still be additional cosmetics to get once the pass goes live for everyone.

Now that a brand new season of Fortnite has launched. There's a completely fresh map to try out, and the addition of a superhero ranking system. There are ranks to rise through in each match, giving you access to progressively more powerful gear. We've got a month until the next season of Fortnite arrives, but there's plenty to keep us busy until then.

Here's everything you need to know about the Fortnite Superman skin, including when it's coming to the game and details on how to unlock it early. As new info is revealed closer to launch, we'll be sure to update this page.

Fortnite Superman release date

Fortnite's Superman skin will release on July 11, 2025. This can be seen in the in-game calendar that's on the main menu screen before loading into a match. Battle Pass owners can unlock Superman and additional Superman items by completing Quests starting July 11. The Super Battle Pass is available to progress in now until August 8, 2025.

The best place to keep up on specific updates closer to the launch of the new season is the Fortnite Status Twitter account. We'll be sure to keep this page up to date as well.

How to unlock the Fortnite Superman skin early

You can actually unlock the main Superman Fortnite skin early by purchasing the Premium Battle Pass. This grants access to the Battle Pass, 25 levels, as well as the skin. This costs 2800 V-Bucks and instantly unlocks Superman. This is the same skin as you'll get on July 11, though there will be additional cosmetics to earn via Quests once the pass is live.

Epic usually details the rewards associated with bonus skins like Superman, closer to their launch date. On release, the Superman skin will have five additional rewards to earn, with five more being added a week after. This is how bonus skins have worked for quite a while, so hopefully Superman follows suit. If anything changes, we'll be sure to update this page.

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Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is out now. The game is back online, as downtime came to an end early. The last season just concluded with an epic Star Wars live event, which then showed Superman as the theme for the new season.

Epic Games has been busy teasing the next season of Fortnite over the last week or so, and now we've finally got the full details on Fortnite Super. There's a whole host of Hero Items to try out, as well as new locations to visit on the map.

Personally, I really enjoyed Fortnite Galactic Battle, with the blaster-only weapon pool being a refreshing change from the norm. Things have changed significantly with the new update, as regular guns and ammo are back in the loot pool. In my opinion, the recent changes have absolutely been good enough to keep Fortnite in TechRadar's best free games list.

Here's TechRadar's coverage of the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, including info on Fortnite Super. Now that it's live, you can check out how we reacted to the update as it happened.

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 Chapter 6 Season 3:

• Start time: Out now
• Theme: Superman / superheroes
• New Map: Supernova Academy, Utopia City, Demon's Domain
• Battle Pass: Robin, Superman

Fortnite next season release date and time

Fortnite Super dropped on June 7, after an epic Star Wars-themed live event. OUT NOW.

What to expect from Fortnite Super

We now know of Robin, and other Battle Pass characters like Superman, Haylee Skye, Ziggy, Synthwave, Killswitch, Lightrider, and Morgan Myst.

There's a whole host of changes to the map too, including Supernova Academy, Demon's Domain, and Utopia City as new major POIs (Points of Interest). There's Hero caches, and a ranking system that lets you rise through the ranks to get better gear. Read the full details over at the Fortnite blog.

Fortnite Super trailer

The cinematic trailer for Fortnite Super debuted shortly before the update landed. It shows Superman catching a falling Battle Bus, in the fallout from the live event. Robin and Superman are now confirmed as Battle Pass skins, alongside new characters.

There was also a full cinematic gameplay reveal, which is embedded above. Here, you'll see some of the new abilities in action, including Robin's Grapnel Gun, and Krypto's Treat.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 live coverage as it happened

Hello and welcome

And so begins my live coverage of the upcoming Fortnite live event, the following downtime, and the launch of a brand new Season. Death Star Sabotage starts at 11AM PT / 2PM ET / BST, so not long now to wait.

Just 2 hours until you can queue for Death Star Sabotage!

While you’ll need to wait a little longer to actually jump into Death Star Sabotage, the queue will open at 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 5PM BST. I recommend joining this as soon as you can after it goes live, as queues have been long enough in the past that it’s been possible to miss the event completely.

Death Star Sabotage trailer aired during The Game Awards

A brand new trailer for Death Star Sabotage aired last night (June 6) at The Game Awards. It sets the stage for an epic space battle, as players race to destroy the Death Star. Primarily, it looks as though this will be a vehicle-based fight, though there's a tease in the trailer showing that you and your squad might kick off the event imprisoned somewhere inside the Death Star.

Prepare for sabotage!

Before Death Star Sabotage, the Star Wars season approaches its end with special log-in rewards for all players. Log into Fortnite between June 3 at 9 AM ET and June 10 at 9 AM ET to immediately receive the Assault on the Death Star Loading Screen and Captain Phasma’s personal melee weapon: the Quicksilver Baton Spear Pickaxe.

There’s still time to check out Galactic Battle

Fortnite Galactic Battle comes to an end later today, but there’s still a few hours left for you to play. Currently, a Star Destroyer portal will spawn once per match, allowing you to take control of the hulking spacecraft’s turbo-lasers. This gives you a bird’s eye view of the map, marking nearby enemies and giving you time to blast them from above. This is a seriously powerful bonus to have, setting you up nicely for the final couple of circles.

The Battle Pass comes to an end soon

There’s just a few hours left to redeem Battle Pass rewards. The final section gives you an Emperor Palpatine skin, as well as a Force Lightning emote.

Death Star Sabotage should lead into the new season

Epic Games is keeping quiet on Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, presumably because it’ll arrive shortly after the Star Wars live event ends. In previous seasons, there’s been a few hours of downtime between the end of a live event and the start of a new update. I’ll be sure to update you live as Epic details downtime, and how long it’s expected to last.

You can now access Death Star Sabotage in-game

Death Star Sabotage just appeared in the Discover menu in Fortnite. This allows you to secure your spot before things start in two hours. It's highly recommended you do so, so you don't miss out on the action.

There's a TIE Fighter vs X-Wing mini game to play while you wait

You can now join the Death Star Sabotage playlist, and better yet, there's a pre-event mini game to try out too. It tasks TIE Fighters with eliminating X-Wings while protecting a Star Destroyer. X-Wings on the other team have to race to blow it up before losing too many ships.

The Rebellion is...underpowered

Playing as an X-Wing in this mini game sure is difficult. At present, it all feels very weighted against the Rebellion, with teams rarely making it past the first stages of Star Destroyer defenses. Maybe this is the point? Hopefully to make the event feel like a bigger victory later on (assuming the good guys win, of course).

New event teaser

A new event teaser just dropped on the Epic Games Twitter account. It shows iconic Star Wars characters gearing up for a big battle. A little over an hour to go now!

We broke through the shields!

We actually destroyed both shield generators, and most of the bridge. It seems the trick is to shoot small asteroids to reveal powerups. The blue boxes grant shields, and the red boxes seriously boost your damage.

Fortnite Death Star Sabotage matchmaking error

There's reports of players having matchmaking issues when trying to join Death Star Sabotage. Epic Games recommends switching to another mode, then switching back to Death Star Sabotage.

Just fifteen minutes to go

The main Death Star Sabotage event will start in just fifteen minutes. Make sure you've loaded into the lobby if you haven't already.

Death Star Sabotage begins in five minutes

Alright, last call. Head into the Death Star Sabotage lobby now if you want to get in for the live event. Just five minutes to go now.

The event is live

And I'm in! looks like we'll be posing as TIE Fighter pilots to start the mission from within. Things are kicking off with choosing a Stormtrooper disguise.

Sabotage

Now we're inside, the goal is to smash generators with pickaxes. In true Fortnite style, it's all running smoothly so far.

Gear up

We're now armed with blasters, and have encountered the first enemy resistance as X-Wings battle overhead.

A battle with the Emperor

The Emperor has arrived to battle. And has immediately taken away our guns. Ultimate power indeed.

Superman confirmed for next season of Fortnite

After an intervention from Hope, we rifted away as the Death Star exploded. Then, the camera panned out, showing Superman overseeing the battle. An end screen shows that Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will go live in just under six hours.

Is Fortnite down?

Fortnite is currently down. This follows the epic Death Star Sabotage live event, which ended with an estimate on when Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will arrive. If things pan out, you'll be able to jump back online at 7PM PT / 10PM ET / 1AM BST (June 8).

What do we know about Chapter 6 Season 3?

So far, we don't know much about the next season of Fortnite, only that it'll arrive later today. Superman has been revealed, so it looks like the rumors of a "Super" season theme are correct.

An update for Fortnite is available to download

Before the new season launches, you'll want to head onto your platform of choice and check for an update. I just got one on PS5, which is 20.147GB in total

Time for a short break

Now that we're in downtime, it'll be five hours until the game is back online and playable. I'm headed off for a break, but I'll be back in the hours leading up to the launch of Chapter 6 Season 3 to cover any news that's revealed.

I'm back

Fortnite's new season launches in just 3 hours. While I was away, Epic revealed an intro cinematic, and the title card image. It looks as if Fortnite Super is the next update, with Robin, Superman and other superheroes taking the lead.

Fortnite Super gets a new trailer

Epic Games has revealed the intro cinematic trailer for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3. It shows the fallout from the end of the live event, and Superman catching a falling Battle Bus full of new characters.

Tim Drake's Robin joins Fortnite

Robin is the latest Fortnite Super character to be revealed, and interestingly, it's the Tim Drake version. I'm betting there's more heroes to come, probably as one of the mid-season mini Battle Passes that have become the norm recently.

Fortnite Super fully revealed

Fortnite Super just got fully revealed. There's new POIs like Supernova Academy and Utopia City, Hero items that power up your abilities, and even a Krypto dive-bomb item. You can check out the full details on the Fortnite blog.

New Unstable Exotics can be earned from Rank S Hero Caches

Hero Caches can be found all over the new map, though the loot they contain will be dependent on your Hero rank. You rank up by eliminating enemy players, surviving Storm phases, taking a Sprite to a Shrine, and eliminating henchmen. Interestingly S Rank Hero Caches can contain Unstable Exotics.

One is called the Unstable Yoink Shotgun, and whoever it hits with the first shot from a full clip will be yoinked towards you!

Check out the new map!

The new map for Fortnite Super features a mix of Star Wars locales, superhero areas, and some zones that we've seen in previous Chapter 6 seasons. Demon's Domain is one of the brand new POIs, and it'll be occupied by the henchmen of Mask Maker Daigo.

Just two more hours of downtime

If you try to log into Fortnite right now, you'll be met with a "servers not responding" error message. Don't worry, this is all normal during downtime. There should be just two hours left until the game goes back online.

Fortnite Super is live early!

Fortnite Super is now online, earlier than we predicted. You can now check out the full Battle Pass, with the first reward being Robin.

Be sure to check the update notes for tips on the new Hero rank system

Before you load into your first match of Fortnite Super, be sure to check out the update notes shown above. These detail the Hero Rank system, which allow you to get access to progressively better gear as you rank up.

Supernova Academy is a must-visit once you've ranked up a bit

Supernova Academy is full of great loot, especially if you're at Hero Rank B or higher. There's doors you'll be able to open after being scanned, most containing Hero Items. I received the Bass Boost from this one, which was great for traversal and destroying buildings.

The Tracking Visor reveals nearby foes

The Tracking Visor is a Hero Item that's already proving to be extremely useful. It periodically sends out a pulse that marks nearby enemies. You can also see their footprints to help track them down.

Superman unlocks July 11

Superman has his own mini Battle Pass, and it'll unlock on July 11. So far, only the standard skin is viewable, but there will be other rewards too. We'll have to wait until closer to the release day for more info on exactly what all the rewards are.

Switch 2 just got an update for Fortnite

As promised, a new update for Nintendo Switch 2 has dropped. Players have already been able to jump into the enhanced version, but now mouse controls have been added. You'll get the Wishing Star Emote for logging on with Switch 2 by March 31, 2026.

Until next time!

That concludes my live coverage of the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch. I'll be back for the next Season, covering all of the ongoing changes to the map, the Battle Pass, and more.

• Fortnite has returned to the App Store in the US after a 5-year absence
• iPhone and iPad users can now download the massively popular battle royale shooter once again
• The legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple is still ongoing

Fortnite has returned to the App Store in the US after a five-year absence, bringing one of the world’s most popular games back to iPhone and iPad.

As of right now, iPhone and iPad users can head to the iOS or iPadOS App Store and find Epic Games’ battle royale shooter and virtual experience platform available for free download.

As mentioned, Fortnite is one of the world's most-played games. Its most popular mode is a third-person shooter, which pits up to 100 players against each other on an island filled with unique locations and quirky weaponry.

Fortnite was first added to the App Store in 2018, but just two years later, Epic Games and Apple would begin a legal dispute that continues to this day.

Fortnite’s return to iPhone and iPad is a major milestone in said dispute, which revolves around the commission Apple charges on apps and in-app purchases.

In general, Epic has accused Apple of trying to form a monopoly through the App Store, while Apple has sought to protect its right to charge commission on in-app transactions. Apple charges a 30% commission on purchases made through the App Store, which extends to in-app purchases that use Apple's payment system.

The official Fortnite X account shared news of the game's return in a post that reads “Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads”.

According to ActivePlayer, Fortnite had been downloaded from the App Store 133 million times before it was removed – and with an estimated 500 million downloads across all platforms, it’s likely to rank amongst the most popular games of all time.

A lot has changed since Fortnite was last available on the App Store – the game has grown from a battle royale only to a Roblox-style platform for official and user-generated experiences, including tie-ins with Lego and Rocket League.

Fortnite has been available on iPhone and iPad in the EU since August 2024, but that’s because the EU's Digital Markets Act forces phone makers to support third-party storefronts – including the Epic Games Store.

And in other regions, such as Australia where Epic Games and Apple are engaged in a separate legal dispute for similar reasons, the game hasn't returned to the App Store yet.

A new chapter?

As we previously covered, Fortnite was originally removed from the App Store following a dispute between Epic Games and Apple over the way in-app purchases are handled.

Fortnite’s in-app purchases, consisting of subscriptions and the iconic V-Bucks virtual currency, are how the free game makes money from users.

In 2020, Epic Games added its own payment system to the app to circumvent the commission Apple charges on these in-app purchases – between 15% and 30% according to the Associated Press.

Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store, and Epic Games suspended support for the iOS and iPadOS versions of the game soon after, and after further legal battles eventually allowed alternative payment systems to operate at a 27% commission.

After an appeal from Epic Games, Apple was ordered to stop collecting commission on alternative payment systems, and on May 19 US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers asked Apple why it was still blocking Fortnite without authorization from the court.

While Fortnite is now officially back on the App Store, the dispute between these tech titans isn’t over just yet – another hearing is scheduled to take place on May 27. We'll have the latest updates via our mobile gaming coverage.

Still, this is major news for Fortnite fans across the US, who can now get back to looting and shooting from their iPhone or iPad. Let us know if you’ll be dropping in in the comments below.

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