'Tis the season for giving, and Epic Games are celebrating the festive season with a brand new era of Fortnite: Season 7. As sad as we are to see the back of the spooky Season 6, the new Christmas.
In such a short space of time, Fortnite Battle Royale has become certified gaming phenomenon. Pitting 100 players against each other on a single map, it melds fun, cartoonish gameplay with a fierce competitive streak, and has attracted millions of players across the globe across all ages and demographics.
Season 10 is now officially live, and we've got details of all the latest updates. In Out of Time there are some map changes and a brand new time travel theme to contend with.
To help you keep on top of what's new and what's coming up in Fortnite, we've put together this handy page which will be updated with all the latest announcements. So to get you ready for blast off, here's everything you need to know about Fortnite.
What is Fortnite?
There's been a lot of hype surrounding Fortnite since its release in July 2017. But what exactly is it?
Fortnite is a battle royale game which sees you thrown onto an island with no weapons or armor and it's up to you to scavenge for supplies and fight for your life to be the last man or squad standing at the end of the game – with the added pressure of a shrinking map that closes in as the match progresses, forcing players into tighter skirmishes.
The game is available for free on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, with in-game purchases limited to purely cosmetic options.
Fortnite update news and Fortnite patch notes
- What's new? Fortnite Season 10 is live and we're now on v10.10! Find out what it involves below.
Fortnite is now into season 10 and it's brought brand new map locations and items with it.
Rift Zones
A notable change thanks to this season's Rift Zones is that Mega Mall has reverted back to being Retail Row, bringing some serious discounts. But the area is more dangerous as a result, with dangerous discount-hungry fiends overrunning the place.
It's a risk to drop in there but once defeated, fiends may drop useful weapons, ammo or items so it could prove worth your while.
Weapons and Items
In the Sword Fight Squads and Duos Limited Time Modes, the Infinity Blade has been unvaulted.
There has been a small changed to the new B. R. U. T. E. vehicle; now both controlling players and opponents can see a targeting laser when missiles are being loaded and fired to make it clear to all players where or who is being targeted.
Limited Time Mode
World Run is the latest Limited Time Mode. It involves 16 players across 4 teams running through an obstacle-laden course to collect coins. The team that collects 30 coins fastest wins.
The patch notes for version 10.10 can be viewed in full on the official Epic website.
- See also:how to unblock Fortnite at school or the office
- Or check out:the best gaming keyboards for Fortnite
Can I play Fortnite on mobile?
Yes you can! Well, maybe. After months of waiting, Fortnite is finally on both iOS and Android, though you'll need a phone that can actually run the game.
iOS users can download straight from the App Store. As long as you're using iOS 11 on iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro devices or later you'll be fine. Oh, and you'll need an internet connection, naturally.
Fortnite also hit Android phones and finally came out of beta in October 2018. You can see the full list of phones – and how to find the Fortnite Installer – on our Fortnite on Android page.
Is it the full game?
It is the full Fortnite game. There are some small differences: it’s not quite as visually impressive as it is on more powerful devices, the controls are touchscreen, and a lot of audio cues have been made visual so you can play comfortably in public without the need for headphones. But you won’t be missing out on any key features.
What's the deal with cross-play?
A sweet deal is what it is. While previously Xbox One and PS4 owners couldn't play the game together, Sony's U-turn on the matter means that now everyone across Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android can all take part in the crossfire.
So if you've got friends that prefer PC, others that prefer console and you're off on holiday with your mobile, that's no reason for the fun to stop.
There's also cross-progression. So, if you're logged into your Fortnite account on mobile and you later log into your console to play there, everything you did on mobile later that day is carried over.
Sounds great, how do I get it?
We have a guide on how to get Fortnite on mobile on TechRadar and we're constantly updating it with the latest rollout news. If your device isn't there yet, keep checking back and one day it probably will be.
What's a Fortnite Battle Pass?
The Battle Pass is a purchasable item in Fortnite that gives you access to exclusive in-game rewards.
As players complete daily challenges and level up their rank, they earn Battle Stars which can then be used to unlock Tiers in their Battle Pass. Each new Tier you unlock will bring both Free and Premium rewards. Season 10 has also seen the introduction of missions to the battle pass. These are thematic objectives that span the island and on completing them you'll unlock additional rewards.
Everyone that has a Battle Pass will get the Free reward they unlock, but only Premium Pass holders will get the Premium reward. Battle Pass Premium can only be purchased with in-game V bucks and not with real money.
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You can purchase a Battle Pass for around £7/$10 in the Battle Pass tab of the game’s menu.
Twitch Prime benefits
Those who use Twitch Prime and play Fortnite will be glad to know that they have access to free loot right now. Those with a Prime account can claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack and the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack 2 which include a host of cosmetic items and are available across all platforms.
The first pack includes two exclusive gliders and outfits: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider. The second pack contains three exclusive items for Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode including the camouflage-heavy Trailblazer Outfit, the True North Back Bling, and the Tenderizer Pickaxe. There’s also a brand new dance emote for those that like the dance floor as much as the battleground.
The packs can only be claimed on a single platform, but they can be shared across PC/console and mobile as long as you use the same Epic account across these platforms. You can’t however, share your loot across PS4 and Xbox One even if you are using the same Epic account.
(Image credits: Epic Games)
Scheduled to stay in Early Access until 2018,Fortnite has been a killer multiplayer experience...with a few bumps along the way.
Fortnite No Download Pc
Unfortunately, this week Epic showcased a real downside to charging for Early Access to a game that will one day be entirely F2P -- those who laid down cash to get in are dealing with all the bugs and problems, whereas those who pay nothing down the line will get a smoother experience.
Although there have been a few lags and stutters up until now, the major problems seem to have arrived with Fortnite patch 1.03. Below we cover the biggest issues right now and all the known workarounds or fixes for these common errors.
Lots of people have been seeing this annoying message all week
How To Fix 'Cannot Download' and 'Login Failed' Error for Fortnite Version 1.03
On the PC edition, both of these issues seem to be tied to server problems that are overcome with simple persistence. Keep clicking Retry until you get the option to sign into your Epic account with your user name and password.
For console, players have had good luck resolving this manually by creating an entirely new Epic account, unlinking their PSN or Xbox Gold service from the previous account, and then linking it up with the new Epic account.
How To Fix Purchase Check Failure Error for Fortnite Version 1.03
Fortnite Download Pc
This one is happening most frequently on the Xbox One edition, and seems to be an issue with the Xbox Live service not interfacing properly with the Epic Games client.
A patch is scheduled to fix this, but for now users have reported about a 75% success rate in either signing out and signing back into Xbox Live, or instead performing a full hard reset on their Xbox One.
If you have your Xbox set to only go into lower power mode instead of restarting when you hit the power button, just tap the Xbox Guide button on the controller, then scroll down to the Settings tab, select Restart, and Yes.
A forum page specifically covering this topic is live and will be updated once the resolution is announced, so check back at this page for the latest info if you still can't log in.
How To Fix Tactical Bonus Locked Bug for Fortnite Version 1.03
This one doesn't actually appear to be a bug, but rather just an element of the game that isn't explained particularly well and has gotten lost in translation as elements of the UI and descriptive text have changed.
Some players have been baffled when they unlock the Hero Squad Tactical Op Slot node in the first skill tree -- yet when they pop a Hero into that slot who has a tactical bonus, it still shows as 'locked' like in the image below.
Tank Penny's Firewall tactical bonus is locked even though I have the skill
Fortnite Season 7 Patch 7.01
The issue here is two-fold: most Heroes have to be evolved to the 2-star rating to utilize their tactical bonus, and some tactical bonuses require a specific type of Hero in the main slot. (Check out our full guide to evolution in Fortnite to get your Heroes where they need to be.)
You can still put any Hero you want in the tactical slot and you will get a bonus to F.O.R.T. skills -- you just don't get the tactical bonus ability if you don't meet those two prerequisites.
Epic Games Fortnite Season 7 Patch Note
Unfortunately, this isn't spelled out very clearly anywhere in the text. I've confirmed this is the cause of the issue by evolving my Rescue Trooper Ramirez to star rating 2, at which point her tactical bonus went from locked to unlocked.
You can actually already tell whether a tactical ability will be available or not by inspecting that Hero on the same screen where you apply experience to level up. As you can see below, the 2-star Ramirez's tactical bonus has its own icon, while the 1-star Tank Penny's skill shows the locked icon.
Having any other issues with Fortnite we didn't cover here? Let us know in the comments section and we'll look for a solution! When you get the game working, be sure to check out our other Fortnite guides to get the most out of your play time: