Fortnite Season 4 is finally here, and it’s bringing some huge changes to the popular Battle Royale gameplay mode.
As expected, all those meteorites we’ve seen flying around in the sky have come crashing down, creating a few new areas to explore and leveling one popular landing spot (don’t worry, Tilted Towers is still there). We’re also getting a ton of new skins and other cosmetics, which you can unlock by paying for a Battle Pass (950 V-Bucks, or about $10.)
Season 4 starts now and runs through July 9. Here’s everything you need to know.
Map Changes
When that comet finally hit the ground it landed right on Dusty Depot, creating a huge crater in the map and a new area called Dusty Divot. The area is filled with small structures, trucks, and tons of loot. The surrounding crater is also covered in smaller meteor fragments called Hop Rocks, which will give you a temporary anti-gravity boost that lets you jump a lot higher than usual.
Beyond Dusty Divot, season 4 also adds a new area to the Fortnite Battle Royale map called Risky Reels. It’s a drive-in movie theater, complete with the giant projector screen that the comet burst through in the season 4 announcement video. Otherwise, it’s a pretty simple fenced in area with a few structures, a bunch of cars, and some loot.
Moisty Mire got a small upgrade too. In keeping with the cinematic theme of season 4, you’ll find a movie set in the mire. The rest of the map (including the still-standing Tilted Towers) is pockmarked with small craters caused by the comet as well, but these don’t seem to much of an effect on actual gameplay.
New Skins and Other Cosmetic Items
Fortnite added a ton of new cosmetics to unlock in season 4, including seven fresh skins, five new emotes, and a new feature called Sprays (basically graffiti tags you can leave on structures in the game).
If you pay for a Season 4 Battle Pass you’ll automatically unlock two new skins: a military commando called Battlehawk and a futuristic exosuit titled Carbide. At tier 23, you’ll get Teknique, which looks like some sort of DJ, and tier 47 unlocks Zooey, a female skin with green pigtails and a pink outfit. There’s also a Wonder Woman-inspired superhero skin called Valor (tier 71), another commando-type skin named Squad Leader (tier 87), and, finally, a very cool exosuit called Omega (tier 100).
As for the emotes, the most exciting addition is probably Orange Justice (tier 26), which is based off a fan submission that went viral. There’s also an eating popcorn emote (tier 31), a quick hand gesture titled Respect (tier 54), and two more dance moves named Hype (tier 63) and Groove Jam (tier 95).
You can also unlock five new Trails (the stuff that comes out of your character as they fall from the bus at the start of each game), including hearts (tier 86) and lightning (tier 50), along with two new Back Bling options, three new Gliders, and two new Axes. Finally, there are 33 new Sprays (those graffiti tags), starting with a big “X” at tier 3.
Gameplay Changes
The biggest change to Fortnite Battle Royale gameplay is those Hop Rocks, which really add a new dynamic to combat and building. Being able to jump way up in the air and slowly float down makes it a lot easier to get a height advantage on your enemies. It also lets you take some shortcuts in your fort building, since you don’t need to make as many ramps as you go up.
Otherwise, the comet shouldn’t make make of an impact on actual gameplay. Those smaller craters could provide some cover and give you a clear spot to meet up with teammates, but that’s about it. For the most part, this is the same Fortnite: Battle Royale you know and love, just with a bunch of new items and a few changes to the map.
