For the second time, the inhabitants of Fortnite have met their collective end with the close of Chapter 2, Season 8. In its wake comes Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 – an updated Battle Royale experience with new gameplay mechanics, an altered island map, and a Battle Pass featuring Spider-Man.
Fortnite Update: Chapter 3, Season 1 Map Changes
Recent events in Fortnite have ushered in sweeping changes to its island map. Fans can not only expect to see altered versions of familiar places, but there will be new locations as well, including Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s own Daily Bugle.
Marvel’s iconic newspaper facility won’t be the only new area worth exploring, as The Sanctuary, The Seven’s secret base of operations, has been revealed as well.
Fortnite: New Gameplay Mechanics
Beyond new characters and map changes, Fortnite Chapter 3 adds new traversal mechanics. These include the ability to slide about in hopes of evading enemy fire or the new swinging mechanic that allows you to mimic Spidey’s movements.
Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 also introduces the biggest game-changing feature since Reboot Vans in Camps. These special locations will allow you and your squadmates to store items to be used in later matches. Not only that, it’ll also allow you heal up after taking damage.
Fans can expect new items and weapons scattered all over the island. If utilized well (and with a bit luck) they’ll be able to get multiple Victory Royales and potentially earn the new Victory Crown. This digital accolade will certainly encourage competitive play.
Fortnite: Chapter 3, Season 1 Battle Pass
It wouldn’t be a new season of Fortnite without a brand-new Battle Pass. This latest pass will offer a lot of the same – new skins, emotes, weapon wraps, etc. It also features the amazing Spider-Man. While those things are worth getting excited for, it’s Epic Games allowing players to continue earning Battle Pass XP outside of Battle Royale that’s really interesting.
Done by using the Accolade Device, Fortnite Creative Mode players can build XP gain into their created experiences. They won’t be able to set the amount, so it won't be easy for players to blast through all 100 levels. Instead, they can set XP award weight based on the number Accolade Devices they have and how frequent players are awarded.
Essentially, players won’t be able to manually type in how much XP they want their friends to earn. All of the math is done in the background in a way that keeps things balanced; players will be able to influence things based on the complexity of their created accolades but won’t be able to give out free XP.
And that’s it for Fortnite’s latest update. Be sure to check back here for more Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 patch notes! Also, if you missed it or want to make sure you didn't miss a thing, read our breakdown of Fortnite Chapter 2's finale event and the introduction of The Rock as The Foundation.
Kenneth Seward Jr. is a freelance writer, editor, and illustrator who covers games, movies, and more. Follow him @kennyufg and on Twitch.