Epic Games released a new update to Fortnite recently that holds in it secrets for what the developer has planned for the future of the game. While some aspects of Chapter 2 have been criticized, the anticipation for what's to come has led some dataminers to find evidence of a returning mechanic coming along with the end of Season 2.
The evidence comes from Brite News, a Fortnite leaker on Twitter and Reddit who dove into the new patch and found files that imply that rift beacons have been added back into the game. So, while the new patch brought a lot to Fortnite this week, it seems that Epic has more to roll out over the course of the next few weeks as Chapter 2 transitions into Season 3.
According to Brite News, Fortnite's patch 12.61 included files for a mesh of rift beacons, meaning that it is likely that Epic Games is planning to bring either the original objects back or add an identical object into upcoming seasons of the game. Previously, these rift beacons were a central part of the map changes in later seasons of the game and eventually led to the black hole that ushered in Chapter 2. While Chapter 3 isn't likely coming anytime soon, this could indicate that there will be more changes, including map changes, as Chapter 2 moves forward.
It should be noted, that none of this is officially released information from Epic Games, and so the results of these early leaks coming from datamining the latest Fortnite patch can still go either way from here. Previous leaks, like Season 2's map, have turned out to be fake in the past, and Epic Games is no stranger to avoiding spoilers for upcoming events from dataminers. So, while these rift beacons could mean some big news for upcoming seasons, it could also be as simple as a reused model with no more intent than to help redecorate the map.
Games like Fortnite have to be in a constant state of evolution in order to keep providing a fresh feeling for returning players. Epic Games has had a history of crossover events, like the recent Tenet trailer, as well as constantly making small changes to the map as the game progresses. If these returning rift beacons turn out to be connected to some of those changes, then players may be in for bang as the game transitions from Season 2 to Season 3.
Fortnite is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.