Epic Games recently announced that it will be bringing back its annual Halloween event for its Battle Royale, Fortnite. This will be the fifth iteration of Fortnitemares, seeing as the event was first introduced during 2017's Season 1. While this year's theme has not yet been confirmed by Epic Games, there has been plenty of speculation as to what new updates are going to be added to the popular shooter, ranging from map changes and Halloween-themed skins.This Fortnitemares event is a part of one of the first major updates to Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 4, also known as 'Paradise'. The update has already seen a variety of innovative new mechanics, such as chrome blobs, petting tame animals, and chrome tornadoes, but what players can expect in terms of Halloween-themed festivities may be entirely different from what they've already experienced. Still, old favorites, such as vaulted skins, and new experiences alike are all but guaranteed.
Fortnite is Delivering on Spooky Skins
Fortnite has always done well with pushing out annual holiday-inspired events, with the Winterfest and Fortnitemares occasions being among the most popular. It would seem that some Halloween skins are already making the rounds in the Fortnite Item Shop, including Skull Trooper, Skull Ranger, Wrath, Peely Bone, and other spooky skins.
While bringing back fan-favorite skins from the past is typically appreciated, it has also been confirmed by Epic Games that at least two new skins will be making their way to its store. This information comes via a Tweet from May, in which Fortnite announced two winners from their skin design competition. Both Sinister Glare and Undying Sorrow skins are expected to debut in the Fortnite Item Shop within the next few weeks, probably before October 18, and will likely cost around 1,200 V-Bucks per character.
Epic Games May Be Adding New Weaponry
In terms of gameplay, Fortnite will likely follow the blueprint of years past and include haunting mist that can obscure a player's vision, new game modes, zombies, new weaponry, and challenges that can be completed in exchange for rewards. 2021's Fortnitemares occasion was called "Wrath of the Cube Queen" which saw the Cube Queen rearranging several parts of the Island and wreaking havoc. During this event, a new melee weapon was introduced, the Sideways Scythe. While there hasn't been any actual confirmation, many fans are certain that there will be at least one new weapon dropping during this year's event.
While this new weapon could be the still unreleased Explosive Goo Gun, which was featured near the end of the Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 Battle Pass Trailer, leaks from the Twitter user HYPEX indicate that it might be something else entirely. The user has discovered that there is allegedly a new ammo type called "Phantom Ammo" in Fortnite's code, which doesn't sound like something that could be utilized with any type of goo gun.
Players Can Look Forward To a New Fortnite Boss
Based on the tagline for the event, "Tis' the season of screams, bad dreams, and all monstrous things," players may want to prepare for new monsters to be introduced to the game, potentially popping up randomly across the map. Many are speculating that the boss fight will be against a sinister wolf-like character, in part because Epic Games' Fortnitemares announcement video depicted the outline of a wolf-shaped animal with glowing eyes.
Another theory suggests that the Chrome elements of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4 will have something to do with 2022's Fortnitemares event, with monsters evolving from the substance to attack players at random. Such events could eventually involve The Herald, a mysterious and menacing antagonist who was revealed during the Chapter 3 Season 3 cinematic intro to be the one controlling the Chrome and clearly plotting against the Island. However, it could also be that Fortnite will want to save the Herald for a time slot closer to the end of this season.
Furthermore, the aforementioned Fortnite leaker, HYPEX, is also claiming that, whoever this new Fortnitemares boss is, will be able to summon monsters at will. When vanquished it will drop a never-before-seen Mythic weapon. It's expected that other loot will drop as well, such as ammo, fireflies, consumables, and the classic Pumpkin Launcher from previous Halloween events. In the past, players didn't need to defeat a boss to obtain a Pumpkin Launcher, and so it's assumed that they'll be able to purchase them from NPCs or find them in chests this year too.
Like previous years, the event will most likely end on November 1, which gives players plenty of time to complete in-game quests and purchase time-sensitive skins as they progress through the current Fortnite Battle Pass. The recent patch will likely reveal more information on the Fortnitemares event, though there are certainly still plenty of challenges to complete before October 18.
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