Fortnite Season 3 Start Date: Delayed To Next Week

[Update: Fortnite’s new Season 3 has now begun and contains Jason Momoa and a new battle pass.]

Original story follows:

All good things must come to an end… eventually. Fortnite’s Season 2 Chapter 2 was originally scheduled to conclude on April 30, but a few weeks prior, developer Epic Games announced an extension. Season 2 was then set to conclude on June 4, and then June 11. In light of the ongoing protests in the US related to the murder of George Floyd, Epic has announced plans to push things back once again. Season 3 will now start Wednesday, June 17–that’s tomorrow–following the major Doomsday event (known officially as The Device). [Update: Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 has officially begun–here’s what you need to know]

There has been some unexpected extra Season 2 content to keep you busy in the meantime, as well as the Doomsday event that will have major implications for Season 3 itself. A variety of teaser images have also been shared online that surely tease some of what’s to come, and we’ve compiled those below.

Fortnite Season 3 Start Date And Time

Fortnite Season 3 started today, June 17, immediately after the end of Season 2, and you can learn all about it here. The Device event–better known as the Doomsday event–took place on June 15.

Perhaps more important is what time Season 3 starts. Epic has announced that downtime for Chapter 2, Season 3 will begin at 2 AM ET on June 17 (11 AM PT on June 16). It’s unclear how long it will last or how big the update will be, but you should expect for servers to be down for a period of time as Epic readies all of the new content.

Has Epic Released Any Season 3 Teasers?

Yes, as per usual, Epic is releasing teaser images on Twitter–and it’s rounded up a glimpse at them all in the tweet you see above. The first of these arrived on Monday, following The Device event. It shows a discreet photograph being taken of some kind of yellow object, seemingly sticking out of the water. It could be a glimpse at a new vehicle of some sort, but the safest bet is that it will somehow be banana-related.

We didn’t have to wait a whole day for the next teaser, as not long after the first, the Fortnite account retweeted streamer Melany Lee, who shared the image below, showcasing a similar shot, but this one featuring a trident. We may be in store for a rapid series of teasers, given that Epic’s original time table for Season 3’s launch put more distance between it and The Device event.

Even more teasers have subsequently been shared through a combination of Fortnite’s account and others that retweeted by that account. You can see them all below: one shows a moon or meteor, while another shows that same object being carried by what looks like an astronaut. Similarly, another image shows a crashed boat, while the next reveals a wider angle of that same shot.

What Can You Do In Fortnite While You Wait?

Alongside new challenges that were added late in the season, the big thing to look forward to was the so-called Doomsday Event, known officially as The Device. This took place on June 15, and while you can check out our recap for the full scoop, there are two big takeaways for now: The Agency has been mostly destroyed and the storm has been replaced with water. How that impacts the map going further remains to be seen–there could be other changes coming once the new season actually begins. Whatever the case, the event was a big success in Epic’s eyes.

Some players are making their own fun–such as devising makeshift drones that they’re flying around to land kills or just mess around.

Season 3 was teased in advanced with in-game posters discovered at Lazy Lake. They focus on sharks and water content and seemingly reference Season 3 directly in their files. It’s been rumored that The Device could send sections of the map underwater, and that’s what Fortnite Season 3 leaks pointed to. Now that we know that’s the case, we’re just wondering what gameplay wrinkles that may bring.

Season 2’s extension means you have more time to complete any weekly challenges you may not have gotten around to from this season. If you need help clearing those, you can find all of our maps and guides in our complete Fortnite Season 2 challenges roundup.

This certainly isn’t the first time Epic has extended a season of Fortnite. Season 1 of Chapter 2 was similarly extended by several weeks from its original December 2019 end date into February 2020. During that additional time, the developer held numerous events in the game, including a Star Wars Episode IX preview and a Harley Quinn crossover event.

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