Friday ‘Nite: Fortnite Chapter 4 Rumors Appear Legit

We’re just some quick weeks into the beginning of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4, however already a lot of the Fortnite neighborhood has its eyes set on one thing doubtlessly a lot greater. Fortnite Chapter 4, as soon as believed to reach round December 2023, may very well be on the way in which this December. Why do individuals assume that? Nicely, there is a multitude of causes, so on this week’s Friday ‘Nite Fortnite column, we’re all of the proof. Is Fortnite actually gearing as much as start a brand new chapter after only a yr? Sure, it actually does appear that means.

Fortnite Asteria leak

The rumors first started swirling round a brand new Fortnite chapter when something called Asteria was spotted by the game’s hyperactive datamining community. In accordance with these with firsthand data we have spoken to, some dataminers briefly caught wind of “Asteria” within the recreation’s recordsdata, and it appears to narrate to a brand new Fortnite map. Some dataminers have even stated this plainly, whereas others have not been too assured or prepared to make such a public declaration.

Nonetheless, even its identify, Asteria, signifies it is a new Fortnite map. That is due to the interior naming conference Epic Video games makes use of when referring to Fortnite maps–they’re all named after Greek gods. The primary map was Athena, Chapter 2’s was Apollo, and the present map is nicknamed Artemis. Asteria, like these different names, can also be the identify of a Greek god–it even equally begins with ‘A’ which appears to be necessary to Epic, so it is pretty sure by now that Artemis is a brand new Fortnite map, even when it would not clarify why gamers assume it is launching this yr. For that, there’s extra to learn beneath

The “Season 5” launch date leak

Whereas Epic hardly ever mentions a Fortnite season’s launch and finish dates till it serves the corporate’s advertising and marketing plans–such as when it wants to inform gamers to point out up for a reside finale event–we can all the time reliably infer the top date of any given season by wanting in-game on the battle go menu. Within the small print on the backside, you will see when a battle go expires, which is traditionally additionally when the season ends. Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 is claimed to finish on December 3.

Why is that this vital? As a result of according to industry leaker Tom Henderson, who has a monitor file of receiving and sharing correct Fortnite leaks, the following season of Fortnite begins on December 5. Meaning there’s a complete day in between when this season ends and the following begins. Sometimes, downtime between seasons extends for about 6-12 hours. It is solely ever longer than a day when a brand new chapter is coming relatively than only a new season, like when Chapter 2 debuted after 36 hours of Fortnite downtime. The elongated downtime definitely looks as if a touch of sweeping Fortnite adjustments on the horizon.

The Herald’s lore and beauty clues

This season’s Huge Dangerous is The Herald, a flora-covered humanoid with unclear motivations. What we will surmise is that she’s a harbinger of doom, given her identify and the main points present in her beauty set in-game, a typical place for Epic to stash some lore for followers to dig up. The Herald should be the primary wave of one thing to return, as she is, nicely, heralding it. However what’s it? Nothing. Actually, within the story, it is referred to as The Nothing.

A number of instances over the previous few years, each in-game and by of us like perpetually-teasing Epic CCO Donald Mustard, point out of one thing referred to as The Nothing has been talked about. What’s it? We nonetheless do not know for certain, however we’re assured it is unhealthy. Listed below are the descriptions for varied objects in The Herald’s beauty set:

• The Herald pores and skin: “The Nothing is coming.”
• Fading Ember Cloak again bling: “The final gentle you will see.”
• Epitaph Edge pickaxe: “The ultimate reduce awaits.”

Under you’ll be able to see a stunning red-string-on-corkboard-style roundup of those and different clues by Fortnite content material creator Ako.

As you’ll be able to see, The Herald’s foreboding clues, albeit considerably nonetheless unclear, do carefully resemble related in-game clues to these of final yr’s Huge Dangerous: The Dice Queen. The Dice Queen arrived on the island as her bodily affect unfold throughout the map, corrupting it with darkish power that nearly resulted in its destruction. It was solely saved when The Basis and Joensy enacted an obvious emergency protocol to flip the island like a coin and presumably drown the queen–Fortnite will get bizarre.

All indicators appear to level to a brand new cataclysm coming quickly to a Fortnite island close to you. And this time, the loopers could also be all out of emergency protocols.

Inventive 2.0

The final large piece of proof to contemplate is the existence of Inventive 2.0. Identified internally as Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), Inventive 2.0 is about to be a dramatic revamp of Fortnite’s Inventive mode suite of instruments. Providing creators higher, extra dynamic, and easily extra instruments with which they’ll construct their very own distinctive video games and experiences, Inventive 2.0 might launch Fortnite out of the universe of battle royales and into one thing extra like a Inventive suite that occurs to have a preferred battle royale out there inside it.

Inventive 2.0 might launch Fortnite into one thing like Roblox however cleaner and extra spectacular, or Desires however with industrial success to boast about. It may very well be revolutionary based on insiders, and due to this fact, it might deserve its personal chapter launch. Rumored to be launching this December, it is sensible if that unveiling comes as a part of Chapter 4 relatively than Season 5.

If all this occurs, it will be the quickest Fortnite has ever moved on from a map in full. Every season brings its personal map adjustments, however wholesale changing a map solely occurs with new chapters. Proper now, it looks as if all indicators level to The Nothing being catastrophic for the heroes of the story, and for a brand new world, codenamed Asteria, to be ushered in as a part of a once-sneaky, since-leaky Fortnite Chapter 4.