Fortnite Season 8 has just begun, but a lot has changed. Last season we saw things get cold as an iceberg crashed into the map and introduced a lot of ice, snow and festive cheer.
But now the winter's coming to an end, Fortnite's turning up the heat with lava, pirates, ninjas and more arriving on the island. Learn more about what's new below.
Update - March 6
The recent Patch v8.01 has vaulted (removed) the Bottle Rockets and changed spawn rates for the Clinger and Infantry Rifle. More importantly, this update's added treasure maps to the game. Find them in chests or on the floor, and then follow the beam of light to the X. Once there, you can dig for a chest full of legendary items and consumables.
When does Fortnite Season 8 start?
Season 8 began Feb. 28. This cutscene heralded the launch and the treasure hunting theme of the expansion.
Season 8 Battle Pass: Hot Stuff
Battle Pass purchasers will unlock the seasons two progressive outfits, Blackheart and Hybrid, while Battle Bundle buyers will get the Sidewinder outfit to use too. There's also a host of new weapon wraps, sprays, pets, contrails, gliders and emotes to unlock as you progress through the tiers of the pass. As usual, the Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks.
MORE: Pokémon Sword and Shield Coming to Switch Late 2019
Map Changes
The map's evolved once again, with two new named locations: Lazy Lagoon in the north (replacing Lazy Links), and Sunny Steps in the northeast. This replaces Wailing Woods, Risky Reels and Tomato Temple, along with a massive volcano that's sprouted just south of where Reels used to be, which is spewing lava down its south side and is surrounded by a jungle biome.
Since the weather’s changing, the snowy southwest of the map has shrunk a little. Snobby Shores, Tilted Towers and the area between them have now returned to normal temperatures, after making the edges of the snow biome introduced in Season 7.
Game Changes
One of Fortnite: Battle Royale's new features can be seen before you even leave the Battle Bus. Party Assist is a new feature which lets you select a daily or weekly challenge when you've grouped up and are waiting for a match to start. As you then play the match, the actions of your teammates will help you unlock the challenges.
Once you're on the ground, you can now play with Pirate Cannons. These can fire cannon balls as you'd expect, but you can also shoot other players across the map as dangerous projectiles capable of wrecking anyone's carefully built fort.
Thanks to the volcano, there's now lava and vents to look out for. Lava damages you, as you'd expect hot molten rock to do. Meanwhile, the vents can launch you into the air, giving you a new mobility option.
