Epic Games DELAYS the release of Fortnite’s new season until early June – but won’t confirm if this is due to developers being in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic
- Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 3 is delayed from the end of this month until June 4
- Developer Epic Games is now extending Chapter 2 – Season 2 beyond April 30
- There will still be new updates and fresh content for the online game until then
- The delay may be due to developers having to work from home during lockdown
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
The next season of the hugely popular shooting video game Fortnite has been delayed until early June, its developer Epic Games has confirmed.
The video games maker said Chapter 2 – Season 3 would now be launched on June 4, having originally been planned to go live on April 30.
Epic Games did not confirm to MailOnline any reason for the delay or if it has been caused by the current coronavirus pandemic.
It’s possible the new date has been caused by restrictions to developers who have had to work from home during the coronavirus lockdown.
The US video game developer may also be considering the strain new gaming updates could put on internet networks globally.
A screenshot from the Fortnite update trailer for Chapter 2 – Season 1, which was released online last year
In a very brief statement on its website, Epic Games said: ‘We’re extending Chapter 2 – Season 2 of Fortnite beyond the original April 30 date.
‘Our plan is to launch Chapter 2 – Season 3 on June 4.
‘Before then, there’s lots of content coming in the current season.
‘We have multiple game updates on the way that will deliver fresh gameplay, new Challenges, bonus XP, and a couple more surprises up our sleeve!
‘For continued updates on the new Fortnite Season and other plans, we’ll keep you up to speed here and on our social channels.’
Fortnite is a battle royale-style survival shooter where players create a superhero avatar and compete against each other on a dystopian island.
It is one of the most popular video games in the world, with millions of players taking part in its last-player-standing matches.
The game allows up to 100 players to fight individually or as part of a team to be the last standing on a virtual battlefield, known as a map.
Fans of the online gaming hit Fortnite were reeling from the surprise ending of season 10 last October, which marked the start of Chapter 2
New season updates have traditionally taken place every few months, and are often notable moments and even interactive experiences for players.
Large-scale events take place inside the game – regularly watched by millions – to mark the transition to a new season.
Last October, to mark the end of the first 10 seasons and Chapter 1 of the game, Fortnite went offline for several days, with the game map replaced with a black hole.
At the time, gamers wondered if their game had been deleted before a brand new game map eventually appeared to mark the start of ‘Chapter 2’.
New seasons within each chapter usually give Epic developers the chance to change elements of the map, replacing some areas or updating them.
Fortnite is a battle royale-style survival shooter where players create a superhero avatar and compete against each other on a dystopian island
Since its initial release in 2017, Fortnite has amassed over 100 million players, with aspects of the game also working their way into popular culture.
Fortnite was originally released as a single player/co-op game where players built objects to fight monsters in a horde-like mode, where in each round more and more enemies attack.
Epic then introduced the hugely successful battle royale multiplayer and introduced seasons to keep up a continuous interest and media hype.
Dance moves seen in the game have been replicated by a number of athletes during major global events, including as goal celebrations by England star Dele Alli and France striker Antoine Greizmann during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
WHAT IS FORTNITE?
Fortnite is a game that originally launched as a disk back in July 2017 and was then turned into a free-to-download game by its developer, Epic Games, in September.
There are three forms of the game: ‘Battle Royale’, ‘Save The World’ and ‘Playground’.
Save the world is the original form of the game and is currently not available to play as part of the free-to-download game, instead it comes as part of a £30 ($40) extra.
It is a co-op mode with a story that’s playable solo or online with friends.
Fortnite is a battle royale-style survival shooter where players create a superhero avatar and compete against each other on a dystopian island
Users compete in teams of up to three to complete a variety of missions.
It is rumoured that the game will be added to the free-to-play version of the game in the future.
Whilst Save The World may be the original version of the game, its sister mode is by far the most popular.
Battle Royale is a game of survival where players create a superhero avatar and compete against each other on a dystopian island.
Each game, or ‘match’ as each competition is known, starts with 100 players.
The aim of the game is to be the last one standing. Users can form allegiances and play in small groups.
To enable this and the interactive experience, the game allows completely open communication between players.
Inspired by the Hunger Games novels and films, gamers search for weapons to help them survive.
Armed with quirky weapons and amusing dances, the game has swept across the gaming world, with children flocking to it.
While there is no exact figure on how many children play Fortnite, the game has so far pulled in an audience of over 125 million players.
Playground is the latest addition to the game and is a consequence free mode with more loot and unlimited respawning to allow players to get creative.
It involved groups of up to four people working as a team and the players can hone their skills as the practise in advance of entering Battle Royale where they will face better players.