Friday ‘Nite is a weekly Fortnite column by which GameSpot editor Mark Delaney takes a better take a look at present occasions within the vast world of Fortnite, with a particular emphasis on the sport’s plot, characters, and lore.

We’re only a few quick weeks into the beginning of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 4, however already a lot of the Fortnite group has its eyes set on one thing probably a lot larger. 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? Well, there is a multitude of causes, so on this week’s Friday ‘Nite Fortnite column, we’re taking a look at all of the proof. Is Fortnite actually gearing as much as start a brand new chapter after only a yr? Yes, it actually does appear that method.

Fortnite Asteria leak

The rumors first started swirling round a brand new Fortnite chapter when one thing referred to as Asteria was noticed by the sport’s hyperactive datamining group. According to these with firsthand information we have spoken to, some dataminers briefly caught wind of “Asteria” within the sport’s information, 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.

However, even its title, Asteria, signifies it is a new Fortnite map. This is due to the inner naming conference Epic Games makes use of when referring to Fortnite maps–they’re all named after Greek gods. The first map was Athena, Chapter 2’s was Apollo, and the present map is nicknamed Artemis. Asteria, like these different names, can be the title of a Greek god–it even equally begins with ‘A’ which appears to be essential to Epic, so it is pretty sure by now that Artemis is a brand new Fortnite map, even when it does not clarify why gamers assume it is launching this yr. For that, there’s extra to learn under

The “Season 5” launch date leak

While Epic not often 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 at all times reliably infer the tip date of any given season by trying in-game on the battle go menu. In 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? Because in accordance with trade leaker Tom Henderson, who has a monitor document of receiving and sharing correct Fortnite leaks, the following season of Fortnite begins on December 5. That means there’s an entire day in between when this season ends and the following begins. Typically, downtime between seasons extends for about 6-12 hours. It’s solely ever longer than a day when a brand new chapter is coming moderately than only a new season, like when Chapter 2 debuted after 36 hours of Fortnite downtime. The elongated downtime actually looks as if a touch of sweeping Fortnite adjustments on the horizon.

The Herald’s lore and beauty clues

This season’s Big Bad is The Herald, a flora-covered humanoid with unclear motivations. What we will surmise is that she’s a harbinger of doom, given her title 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 come back, as she is, nicely, heralding it. But what’s it? Nothing. Literally, within the story, it is referred to as The Nothing.

Several occasions 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 is it? We nonetheless do not know for positive, however we’re assured it is unhealthy. Here 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 mild you will see.”
• Epitaph Edge pickaxe: “The last reduce awaits.”

Below you may see a beautiful red-string-on-corkboard-style roundup of those and different clues by Fortnite content material creator Ako.

As you may see, The Herald’s foreboding clues, albeit considerably nonetheless unclear, do carefully resemble comparable in-game clues to these of final yr’s Big Bad: The Cube Queen. The Cube Queen arrived on the island as her bodily affect unfold throughout the map, corrupting it with darkish vitality that nearly resulted in its destruction. It was solely saved when The Foundation 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.

Creative 2.0

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

Creative 2.0 might launch Fortnite into one thing like Roblox however cleaner and extra spectacular, or Dreams however with business success to boast about. It could possibly be revolutionary in accordance with insiders, and due to this fact, it might deserve its personal chapter launch. Rumored to be launching this December, it is smart if that unveiling comes as a part of Chapter 4 moderately than Season 5.

If all this occurs, it will be the quickest Fortnite has ever moved on from a map in full. Each season brings its personal map adjustments, however wholesale changing a map solely occurs with new chapters. Right 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.