Fortnite blackout as Epic Games prepares to overhaul map, weapons, and mechanics
Preparation for a major update has caused Fortnite's servers to go down, with developer Epic Games benefitting from the blackout by added a new map, weapons, and mechanics to the world's most popular battle royale.
It has been nearly a decade since Fortnite first took over the world of gaming and it's still very much going strong, entertaining fans with exciting new collabs and fresh ways to play.
Cramming all that new content into the game can't be done entirely in the background, however, as Epic Games unfortunately needs to shut Fortnite down for a brief period before every new season.
That time has unfortunately arrived for players once again, with servers experiencing a 'blackout' on the eve of Chapter 7 Season 4 — but hopefully it'll be worth it considering everything that's set to arrive when things go back online.
When will Fortnite's servers be back online?
Going offline in the early hours of this morning, it's expected that the Fortnite servers will officially go live again at around 4 a.m. PST / 7 a.m. EST / 12 p.m. BST, providing that there are no additional delays that crop up.
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Everything seems to be going ahead as expected at the time of writing, meaning that fans of the game won't have too long before they can jump back in and fight for that victory royale.
There will certainly be plenty to look over and investigate once you boot up the game again though, and staying on top of all the new mechanics can help give you an advantage over other players as the storm circle edges ever closer.
What's new in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4?
The arrival of Chapter 7 Season 4 and patch V42.00 in Fortnite also coincides with what many are speculating to be one of the biggest collaborations yet, as Epic Games is bringing content from Sonic, Kingdom Hearts, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Tetris, and more into the game, as per Insider Gaming.
Chief among the new additions are a bunch of unique Points of Interest (POIs) linked to the collaborations, including Stone Sanctum, Green Hill Zone, and Reality's Reign — so make sure to check them out when exiting the Battle Bus.
You'll also definitely want to check out the new Match Override mechanic, as this lets you rewrite the rules of the server with bonuses like Sonic Speed, increased XP, extra lives, increased damage, infinite stamina, and so much more.
Epic Games has also introduced eight new weapons into the field of play, including Sonic Power Sneakers, the Mega Buster, 8-Bit Shotgun, Midas' Masterpiece, Tetris Rift, 1-Up Token, and God Mode Llama.