Fortnite, when it came out over 2 years ago, completely changed the perception of games in mainstream media. It took the world by storm becoming the number one video game and a massive cultural phenomenon. Many others tried to replicate the game’s success but just couldn’t keep up with the sheer amount of content that Epic Games pushed out for Fortnite every single week.
After 10 consistent seasons and some very big events, Fortnite finally had ‘The End‘ event to close out season 10. However, Epic threw a curve ball at fans when the game did actually end as the map got engulfed by a black hole. As of now, Fortnite cannot be played and people are freaking out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huDgBRqbMuc
This is clearly not the end for the game, though. That would make no sense at all as Fortnite still generates humongous amounts of revenue. Furthermore, we’ve got some leaks to confirm that Fortnite is indeed going to get an overhaul for what is going to be the ‘Chapter 2‘ for the game.
What’s new in Fortnite Chapter 2?
While Epic Games has removed the leaked trailer from everywhere, most people have seen it already. The trailer, which showcases the Battle Pass for Chapter 2 Season 1, also shows some new additions to the game. An accidental update pushed to the Fortnite page on the App store later confirmed these additions.
Boats and Rivers
Firstly, the map is going to go through a radical change and we’re going to have what are presumably lakes or rivers in between. How do you travel through those? Well, apparently, Fortnite is also getting some boats that players would be able to use to move through water.
Additionally, players would be able to fight and shoot each other while they are using the boats. However, if your boat does get destroyed somehow, you’ll also be able to swim through the water rather than just walking through it like before.
Fishing and Reviving
Another new apparent addition to the game is fishing, as seen in the leaked trailer. However, that could just turn out to be an emote. The trailer also shows a character hopping out of a dumpster, which is not like a bush disguise. Instead, it would be like a hiding spot, much like the Hitman games, for players to hide inside and ambush other unwary players.
Furthermore, we also appear to have an additional action for reviving teammates for Chapter 2. In the trailer, a character can be seen carrying downed teammates around. This could be useful for taking a downed teammate to a safer spot before reviving them.
New Level Up mechanics
Another addition to the Chapter 2 is medals. Players could earn these medals, alongside the usual XP by gathering materials and eliminating players. These medals have tiers which presumably will unlock better rewards as you climb up through the ranks.
iOS 13 bug hinders Fortnite experience on iPhones
What will happen to your V-Bucks and items?
If you’re worried about losing your V-bucks and in-game items, take a sigh of relief. Many users reached out to Sony about potentially losing their money but the company assured them that their V-bucks and inventory items are secure. However, no further details were given and players were asked to go to Epic for further information.
When is Fortnite Chapter 2 coming out?
There has been a lot of speculation around the eventual release of the Chapter 2. People have been throwing around theories all over twitter.
Clues and numbers found by data miners
Some eagle-eyed players managed to spot the random numbers appearing near the black holes. However, what those numbers mean is still under debate.
The strongest theory has come from a data miner who stringed together those numbers and matched them with the recording of the Visitor (the antagonist of Fortnite). Apparently, the hidden meaning behind the number is “I was not alone. Others were outside the Loop. This was not calculated. The moment is now inevitable. Moment I was not alone”. However, this still does not really answer when the game will actually come back.
Why is Epic taking so long to release Fortnite Chapter 2?
Fortnite is undergoing a massive overhaul for Chapter 2, including some core game mechanics and the game map. A change this big requires some pretty massive measures to ensure server stability. So, Epic was probably patching their servers and getting them ready for the next Chapter. However, after over 20 hours of downtime, the infrastructure should be ready.
So, there is also an element of creating hype and confusion among the players for a bigger launch. The End event was seen by millions on Twitch, making it the biggest livestream ever on the platform. Epic would certainly like to keep the hype train going for as long as they can and release little teases along the way. The Chapter 2 launch could thus potentially be massive. Furthermore, this little downtime will also allow Epic to kink out any minor bugs that are still wandering around from previous releases.
Chapter 2 Release Date
Usually, Fortnite season updates go live on Thursdays so we could get Chapter 2 on October 17, 2019. However, some people have been digging through the files and have found that the start of Chapter 2 could begin as early as 6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT Tuesday. According to a couple other teasers and leaks, it does seem like we’re about to get Chapter 2 today. However, the premise of that release is still unknown.
The new update is expected to be over 10 GB in size so get your consoles and PCs ready to jump in as soon as you can. Additionally, a massive 5 GB iOS update for Fortnite also got pushed today meaning that we are close to entering the next chapter.
What do you think will Fortnite bring to the table in Chapter 2? Are you excited for the new changes? Let us know down in the comments below!