Fortnite season 10 ended with a bang, literally – a huge explosion threw players into the air above the game’s only map, which has now been replaced with a black hole.
Some thought it was a ‘Fortnite asteroid’, others thought it was a bug. Here’s what really happened…
Players will be shocked to see the destruction, and now absence, of the original Fortnite map, but the event is the game’s preparation for a new map. A leak last week hinted at a new map and a new era for the game, titled ‘Chapter 2’. (Via IGN)
The climactic end of season 10 was hugely popular. So many people watched the event on Twitch that the service briefly shut down, according to Rod Breslau.
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THERE IS OVER SIX MILLION (!!) CONCURRENT VIEWERS FOR THE FORTNITE 'THE END' EVENT ACROSS TWITCH AND YOUTUBE INCLUDING OVER 4 MILLION ALONE (!!) ON YOUTUBE
incredible pic.twitter.com/nLYUu3qhp6
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 13, 2019
Several rockets crashed into the original map, after the conclusion of a long-standing in-game countdown. This took the form of a timer above the Dusty Depot visitor’s rocket.
That rocket launched, causing a rip in time and space, through which several, more explosive rockets, came back towards the map. All the rockets hit, in the same spot, throwing players high into the air above the game map.
Currently, those who sign into the game are greeted by a black hole and little else.
However, it is possible to enter a mini-game while Fortnite is in this state. IGN reported that entering classic Konami mode (press: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start,) starts up an Easter egg mini-game.
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It’s rare that a game goes offline on purpose like this. Essentially this is a massive publicity stunt, but the figures discussed by Breslau show that it’s working. Interestingly Fortnite’s social media has all blacked out too, so the developers are really investing in this event.
It’s unclear how long this will last but players are waiting in keen anticipation of a new map. Leaks have suggested the inclusion of new mechanics, including boats, may be possible after the event passes. It seems likely the game will be quite different on its return.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
