Now that 2021 is here, players are probably wondering what's in store for Fortnite in the coming year. As far as content goes, Epic Games is still focused on Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 5, which is filled with all sorts of crossovers from shows like The Mandalorian and The Walking Dead, alongside other video game franchises such as Halo and God of War.
However, Epic Games likely has a lot in store for Fortnite this year, and players should expect more content updates and even more crossover from other popular media. Now, here's everything we know so far about Fortnite's next season, what Epic plans for competitive Fortnite, and how the ongoing battle with Apple and Google could affect mobile players.
Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 6
As previously mentioned, Epic Games is still focused on Fortnite's Season 5, Chapter 2, and the developer hasn't even announced when it plans to release the next chapter. It is worth remembering that a season in Fortnite usually lasts around 10 weeks, with a few exceptions, such as delays that led to the overtime of Chapter 2, Season 2, which ran for 17 weeks. Now, according to Epic's website, the current Zero Point Battle Pass will run through until March 15, 2021, and the in-game menu also says that "Chapter 2, Season 5, will last through March 16th.
Given this, it is likely that Chapter 2, Season 6, will begin on the week of March 15, 2021. The specific date is difficult to predict, given that various seasons started on different days. Assuming that this is true, then the current season will run for around 15 weeks. This means that Epic Games already has plans to extend the current season, leading to even more crossovers and content updates in the coming weeks.
Competitive Fortnite Roadmap
Last December, Epic Games laid out its plans for the future of competitive Fortnite in 2021. First, the developer revealed that it initially intended to hold in-person tournaments again. Unfortunately, given the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, its priority is the health and safety of players and staff. Given this, Epic Games do not plan to host in-person events in 2021, including a Fortnite World Cup. However, the company also revealed that it would continue to provide online competitions throughout the year, hoping that physical events can return at some point in the future.
Regarding FNCS, Epic Games revealed that they would continue throughout 2021, but it is standardizing the FNCS party size to trios for the time being. Although Trios will be the primary party size in FNCS, Epic reiterated that it might change the scoring and/or qualification formats per season. Additionally, Chapter 2, Season 5 FNCS, is scheduled to begin on February 4. Epic explained that the reason why it chose this particular date is to allow players to adjust to the new season while allowing the developers to make final adjustments before FNCS play. Lastly, Epic reassures fans that beyond its biggest competitions, the developers are working on a roadmap that will include more weekly tournaments, unique tournaments, and Creator Cups throughout 2021.
Fortnite on iOS and Android in 2021
Last year, Epic Games made headlines when it altered how mobile players could purchase V-Bucks, prompting Apple and Google to remove Fortnite from its respective stores. At the moment, Fortnite is not available on both the iOS App Store and the Google PlayStore. However, those who already have the game installed could still access Fortnite on their mobile devices, but it will not receive any Epic Games content updates.
On the other hand, while Fortnite is also not available on the Google PlayStore, some Android users will still be able to download the game via the Samsung Galaxy Store or directly from the Epic Games App on all other Android devices. At the moment, it remains unclear when Fortnite is scheduled to return on both iOS and select Android devices, especially since the lawsuit Epic Games filed against Apple and Google remains at the courts. For now, affected mobile users would only be able to access Fortnite on other platforms, especially since it will probably take some time before the battle between Epic, Apple, and Google gets resolved.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.