Fortnite may extend current season and unvaults bottle rockets for Lunar New Year

The season that never ends. 

Epic Games

Fortnite Chapter 2 season 1 continues to go on and on and on. It's been more than 100 days since the explosive black hole event that kicked off the current season, but there's now a firm date for when the new one will begin.

Developer Epic Games said Friday that Fortnite Chapter 2, season 2 will start on Feb. 20. In early February, the company will release the 11.50 patch that will include the Unreal Engine's Chaos physics engine, but it didn't explain how the new engine will alter the game. Epic did say it wants to ensure that "Fortnite still feels like Fortnite." 

With Feb. 20 confirmed as the start date for the next season, it would mean Fortnite Chapter 2 season 1 will last 129 days. In comparison, previous seasons were 70 to 84 days.  

Until then, there will be more Overtime challenges and a two-week event, which could be a crossover with the upcoming Birds of Prey movie. The official Fortnite Twitter account replied to an image of the cast from the DC film saying only "See you soon, Harley." Last September, DC and Epic held a Batman Day crossover event turning part of the island into Gotham City. 

One data miner inspected Fortnite's API on Thursday and found the date change for the end of chapter 2 season 1. Originally set at Feb. 6, the "DisplayedEndDate" now shows Feb. 20.  

On Thursday, Epic unvaulted bottle rockets just in time for the Lunar New Year that starts on Jan. 25. The explosive item made its debut in season 7 but was removed from the game in season 8.

For starters, there's a new map in the game, and it's bigger than in the previous chapter. There are 13 new locations for players to visit, but the map is grayed out until a player actually travels to that area. 

Boats are now found around the island. To reach them, players can now swim in the water. The previous island didn't have very deep water so players would simply run through lakes and rivers slowly. Swimming lets players make their way through bodies of water at a fairly quick pace, and players can float in the water while shooting certain weapons.

Players can also fish. Not only will this offer a bit of peace of mind, but the fish caught can also provide health and shield bonuses. 

Upgrade machines are found in parts of the map, letting players trade in a certain amount of materials to improve their weapons. For example, a player can make a green weapon into a more powerful blue weapon and so on. 

There are also new team dynamics in Fortnite chapter 2. Players can now carry teammates who've been downed, meaning they've had their health reduced to zero and crawl on the ground until they're revived or eliminated. However, a dying player can also be picked up by another team -- some are having fun grabbing up downed opponents and running away with them. 

There is also a new Bandage Bazooka letting players heal each other from a distance. Teams can also celebrate together with new team emotes. 

Haystacks and dumpsters are now something to keep an eye on. These hideouts are spots for players to get the jump on others, giving a bit of stealth to the game. Those who want a loud approach can find explosive barrels and gas tanks to make some noise and do damage. 

Watch out for haystacks. 

Epic Games

The default characters also had an outfit and graphical upgrade. 

Fortnite Chapter 2 also has a new Battle Pass and things are made a little easier this time around. During a match, players will earn badges for surviving longer than other players, gathering materials and eliminating other players. A Battle Pass costs 950 V-bucks, or approximately $9.50, but subscribers can earn 1,500 V-bucks throughout the season that could pay for the next season pass. 

Fortnite is available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, and Android and iOS devices.

Update v11.10

The first major update for Fortnite Chapter 2 season 1 was more about content than game changes. To be more specific, it's Halloween time. 

Fight the Storm King during Fortnitemares.

Epic Games

For the third time, Epic celebrates the spooky season with the return of Fortnitemares. This time around, players can face off against the Storm King in a new mode and complete a set of challenges to unlock new in-game cosmetics. 

Update v11.20

Released on Nov. 20, this update wasn't much of an update. In fact, aside from a few weapon adjustments and bug fixes, there is hardly anything added to the game. Daily Challenges have now returned allowing players to gain more experience points in order to reach higher tiers to unlock more cosmetics. 

Update v11.30

Epic added a desired feature in v11.30 update:  Split-screen. Two people can now share the same screen while playing during a Duos or Squads match. Aside from the new feature, there is not much in the update aside from bug fixes and other small changes. 

Update v11.40 

The new patch includes the option called sidegrading. Upgrade stations found on the island wil l now offer a better weapon in exchange for a certain number of materials. For example, players with an assault rifle can visit a station to get the more powerful heavy assault rifle, which makes its return in the update. Sidegrading is only available in non-competitive playlists.

Fortnite pro Tyler "Ninja" Blevins also had his own news for the game. In a Jan. 15 livestream on Mixer, he revealed his own skin in the game. The surprise, however, was spoiled a few minutes earlier by multiple Fortnite data miners. 

Ninja is the first Fortnite player to receive a skin based on his appearance in the game. The new outfit will cost 1,500 V-Bucks, or approximately $15. Ninja's Edge Back Bling, Ninja Style Emote and Dual Katanas Pickaxe, will also be available for purchase in the Fortnite Item shop starting Jan. 16-19 as part of Epic's Icon Series, which will have more collaborations with creators. 

Originally published Oct. 15 and updated as new information is revealed.

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