Highly anticipated: The Fortnite world was once again forever changed following a colossal in-game event to close out chapter 2 and usher in the beginning of chapter 3. Players participating in the event were able to watch it all unfold in real time as UFOs, zombies, and even Duane “The Rock” Johnson invaded the game’s island.
Fortnite, one of the largest and most popular games in the battle royale genre, is undergoing another major update. The introduction of a new chapter will infuse the game with fresh content, characters, mechanics, and storylines. The change was kicked off by an in-game live event that changed the face of the game’s iconic map.
Similar to the black hole event used in the game’s previous transition, Fortnite players found themselves floating across a vast ocean following yesterday’s events. Players expect this visual to persist until the update’s officially go live, at which time everything from a new map to new character skills and interactions will become available to the game’s playerbase.
One of the biggest changes is the game’s island itself, which literally flipped during the in-game event. Much like the previous Athena and Apollo islands of chapters 1 and 2, chapter 3’s Artemis Island looks to bring players additional features including new places of interest (POI), weather events, and wildlife.
In addition to a new play area, chapter 3 will deliver players new gameplay mechanics that may fundamentally change how the game is played. According to Epic’s official chapter 3 announcement, players will now have the ability to slide and swing their way across the map. Players will also be able to use camps that can heal and retrieve weapons and items that were stashed away during previous matches.
As expected, no release would be complete without a host of new playable characters to choose from. The announcement also references a previous leak that provided viewers with a sneak peek of chapter 3’s newest additions, which looks to include Spider Man, Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix and Kait Diaz, and “The Foundation,” the Duane Johnson-based character who was instrumental during the live event.
The new chapter is rumored to go live sometime today, however Epic has not yet released a formal statement on the update’s availability or when season 1, “Flipped”, will begin.