Fortnite Events Guide: All Live Events, Seasonal Events

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Epic Games has innovated quite a lot in the battle royale and general online multiplayer game space with Fortnite. From the creation of the battle pass system to the revolutionary crossovers that have happened. However, one of the most important areas is with the events. The Fortnite events guide is here to give you a breakdown of them.

In general, there are two main types of events and this Fortnite events guide will make sure to help you understand what each of them is. Furthermore, it will give exact details about the live events, which is the groundbreaking trend that Epic Games started with Fortnite. Here’s everything that you need to know about events.

Bottom Line Up Front

The two main events in Fortnite are the live events and the limited-time ones. Live events are the revolutionary moments where an event happens, like a concert or the destruction of an in-game location, live for everyone around the world at the same time. A limited-time event, on the other hand, might be a seasonal event to celebrate a certain holiday or crossover.

What are Fortnite Events?

event

Above all else, the Fortnite events are broken up into two main categories: live events and limited-time ones. Epic Games has popularized this battle royale title on the backs of these two types of events since they truly are a special occasion when one of them happens.

This is even to the point where players will drop whatever they are doing and come back to the game in order to check out these events while they are still happening. I know for me, personally, there have been times that I have been a lapsed player who has moved on to other games for a time.

This could be because I’m not a fan of a particular season that is going on or I’m just busy playing other games for fun or work. That said, in these moments of not regularly playing Fortnite, if there is an event that is announced for whatever reason, Epic can know that it will always reel me back in.

I am far from the only one like this and Epic knows that, making sure to frequently offer events of some kind to players in Fortnite. Any time that an event has ever happened in the game it has truly meant something and, while some are better than others, no events are the same.

The popularity and success of the Fortnite events, especially in the live space, has caused other games out there to try and replicate that in their own titles. We have seen other battle royale games offer their own major limited-time events around a holiday or even try their hand at a massive live event. But, in the end, no one does it better than Fortnite.

Fortnite Live Events Explained

When it comes to the Fortnite live events, there are well over a dozen of these that happened so far in the game. How a live event works is that Epic will announce one at a specific time on a certain day. Since it is live, it is treated as if you were going to a concert in real life or seeing a movie at the movie theater.

If you miss out on showing up at the correct time that was previously announced for the live event, you are sore out of luck as you will likely miss the entire thing. Some events do have rewatches and encore showings but these are few and far between, making live events a monumental occasion in Fortnite.

People will literally take off from work or skip school (which we do not condone or recommend doing) in order to make some of these events, especially when they could have ramifications for the future of the game. The quality and weight of the live events is another reason why they are so popular.

The events are produced in a way like they are a showing of something with Epic meticulously crafting a scripted storyline and event from start to finish no matter what the live event is. There are shocks, surprises, and even a chance to find out more about the general lore behind the title.

Many of these live events will come at the beginning or end of a season, which is usually the case for most gameplay live events, while there are also some that will come in the middle of a season and are usually a movie showing or a concert in-game.

The live events that bookend a season are the big ones as they will say goodbye to the theme or some of the locations from the previous season and usher in a brand new theme with the next one. Some of these will not only bring us new locations, but new biomes, too, or even an entirely new island.

And then there is the middle of the season events that are usually a concert or movie trailer. These may not have an impact on the story of Fortnite but they are a fun spectacle that is high quality and unlike any other concert that you’ve ever been to before. Better yet, they usually feature some insanely popular artists from the real world.

Fortnite Seasonal and Limited-Time Events Explained

meteor

The other side of Fortnite events is the seasonal and limited-time ones. These are completely different from the live events since they are not focused on a specific one-time thing. Instead, they will usually take place over the course of multiple days, if not weeks, and give players much more time to enjoy its content.

The seasonal and limited-time events usually come with lots of special content for players to check out, such as new cosmetic rewards exclusive to this time, unique game modes to play, and more. Sometimes, the limited-time event will even change a particular location or area on the map to something else entirely.

For seasonal events, there are a few different times of the year where you can basically expect Epic Games to offer a seasonal event, such as the 14 Days of Summer in Fortnite. During this time, usually around July or August, Fortnite will celebrate the sunny summer with two weeks of in-game challenges and rewards themed around the season.

Another major one is at Halloween with Fortnitemares where the island might become overrun by the zombie-like cube monsters and special skins appear in the item shop. Yet another possible seasonal event is the Winterfest that, as the name states, takes place in the wintertime, usually around December before and during the holidays.

The limited-time events are also where we get a lot of the crossover events in Fortnite. Some will start out or be tied to live events but will then branch out into their own crossover event, such as with the Star Wars crossover that we had in the past to celebrate The Rise of Skywalker film’s release.

Others might be a limited-time crossover event to celebrate the launch of a new battle pass skin like when Superman finally came to Fortnite and players had the rest of the season to unlock him through event challenges. Or when Batman appeared on the island and changed Tilted Towers into Gotham City.

And then there are truly crazy moments with limited-time events like when an entire season is just one huge event of its own. This was seen especially in the case of Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 4 when Epic released the Marvel-themed season where every single aspect of it was about Marvel. From the battle pass to the new locations to the new weapons and abilities, it was an entire Marvel crossover event for several months.

All Live Events Since Chapter 1

For the Fortnite live events, we have conveniently listed all of them below for you to check out. These are all of the major live events that have happened in the battle royale game thus far, either being a more lore/season-defining event or one of the significant concerts that have occurred before. This includes details about all of these events since the very beginning of live events in Chapter 1.

Blast Off

Blast Off

Blast Off was not only the launch of a rocket in Fortnite but the launching point for the future of the game. In Season 4 of Chapter 1, Epic Games attempted something that had not really been done before in a battle royale game: hosting a live event that would happen across all servers at the same time.

And, yet, it happened and it worked brilliantly. The execution was not perfect as the first attempt but it was a crazy moment with countless people watching and live-streaming this groundbreaking moment. Blast Off itself was not a huge event in its own right.

All that happened was a rocket shot off into the sky, breaking apart and reappearing in different locations. This eventually led to a rift in the sky that would be a key part of the game for the next season. It was the first event and not too extravagant, but also not the worst ever.

Butterfly Event

The Butterfly event was the culmination of Kevin the Cube. The Cube had appeared around the island due to the rift from earlier in Fortnite, causing it to move around the map to random locations. The Butterfly event was the finale for this, teleporting players to a strange place in between realms.

It was here that the Butterfly appeared and landed on the fingertips of players before returning everyone to the island where Leaky Lake had changed. This was definitely one of the weakest live events in Fortnite’s history.

Ice Storm

Ice Storm

The Ice Storm had plenty of lead-up time to it, with the game showing an actual countdown to when it would happen. Inside of Polar Peak was the Ice King in Season 7 and he had a piece of the Cube with him. Once the countdown was finished, the ice broke and the Ice King was free to do whatever he wanted.

During the live event, he grew in size and blanketed the whole island in snow. This led to ice NPC enemies on the island.

Showtime

The Showtime event was the first of its kind, showing that live events could be much more than just a random event that happened to set the stage for the next season. It was a live concert that happened inside of the game itself, featuring Marshmello as the star of the show.

The concert happened at Pleasant Park on the island with a special stage set up there. Marshmello played several songs during the event, with a breadth of effects happening during the performance. It was a wild live event that showed the possibilities of what Epic Games could do within the game.

The Unvaulting

The Nexus event was the grand finale for The Vault in Chapter 1. While not nearly as important to the lore of Fortnite as some of the other events, it helped to emphasize the element of choice and community that empowers the game. The Vault had appeared previously at Loot Lake but players could not enter it.

With The Unvaulting event, The Vault finally opened up and players entered to find six fan-favorite items there. The bouncer, drum gun, grappler, Infinity Blade, Stormwing Plane, and tactical SMG were all there. Players had the chance to select which one to unvault and the drum gun was the winner.

The Unvaulting concluded with the volcano erupting, destroying various named locations around the island.

The Final Showdown

The Final Showdown

The monster versus mech fight was a hyped-up event during the ninth season of Chapter 1 in Fortnite. Epic Games had been hyping it up for a long time, giving that Godzilla versus Gundam experience that fans had been looking forward to.

This was even to the point where players would pick a side by gifting a special cosmetic banner in the item shop to friends. Finally, The Final Showdown happened and the monster and mech fought against one another. It was a crazy battle that ended with the mech destroying the monster. The monster’s remains would stick around as a new point of interest while the Zero Point would finally make its appearance.

The End of Chapter 1

Season X was the 10th season for Fortnite and an insane event unlike any before it. In fact, it is even considered the best live event for many players in the community. It began with a callback to the rocket from the Blast Off event, featuring the rocket launching and the rifts activating.

The rockets attempted to push the meteor to destroy the island but the Zero Point was doing its best to stop it. Eventually, the Zero Point gave way and the meteor crashed down into, causing a black hole to appear on the island suck everything into it.

With the black hole there, it meant literally the end of Fortnite. Or, at least, for a period of time. There were about two days that the game went offline, the longest since its release, and players had to wait patiently for the new chapter to begin. After the 48 hours or so were up, a new island was created and Fortnite Chapter 2 began.

Star Wars Live From Risky Reels

Fortnite Chapter 2, Season 1 began and was one of the longest seasons to ever happen for the game. Oddly enough, though, it had few live events and the very first for the chapter was the Star Wars live event. Taking place in December 2019, Live From Risky Reels was a special live event.

Unlike the others that were lore-driven or a concert, this one was a movie-themed event to celebrate the impending release of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Players were promised the chance to see a glimpse of the film in action and it delivered.

The live event began with a spectacular aerial battle between the Millenium Falcon and some First Order TIE Fighters. Eventually, the Falcon landed and the director for the movie, JJ Abrams, made his appearance. Players had the chance to vote on the event, watch a scene, and then pick their lightsaber color.

From that point forward, a Star Wars limited-time event began in Season 1, offering lightsabers, Star Wars rewards, Stormtroopers to fight, and more on the island.

Travis Scott Astronomical Concert

Travis Scott Astronomical Concert

The second major live concert in Fortnite was the Travis Scott Astronomical event. In this one, Travis Scott appeared on the island and performed a concert very different from what we saw in Showtime. It was more of a blend of a performance with a full setlist alongside what we would normally see in a typical live event.

There were insane effects with players being teleported around the island, explosions, rifts, and more. It was a wild time that referenced many of the past live events in the middle of the concert that Travis Scott was holding. Epic learned from past events like this one and offered several showings that people around the world had a better chance to see the event.

The Device

The Device was a strange event that actually had to be delayed a good bit in order to finally happen. The Device itself had appeared at The Agency in Season 2 and it was clear that the leader of the group, Midas, had some devious plans up his sleeves.

In the end, The Device was used and it began to stop the storm, which was the ever-present mechanic in Fortnite that damaged players if they stood in it. In the midst of this, we saw a glimpse of Agent Jonesy and some of the lore surrounding the game and its apparent loops.

Eventually, The Device was stopped but not before a wall of water appeared all around the island in a terrifying way, which would eventually crash down and set the stage for Season 3.

Devourer of Worlds

Devourer of Worlds

The Nexus War finally came to its conclusion with the long-awaited arrival of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. All season long during the Marvel season, it was clear that Galactus was on his way to the island and it finally happened.

The player played a part in helping Iron Man and the rest of the Marvel superheroes in fighting back against Galactus. Using modified battle buses that the player controlled themselves, they were able to defeat the Devourer of Worlds and send him through a rift. We received a tiny bit more lore about Fortnite before the countdown to Season 5 began.

Zero Crisis Finale

For the ending of Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6 in Chapter 2, Epic Games attempted the most unique live event to date. In fact, it was not even a live event at all. Once the new season began, every single player had the chance to try the Zero Crisis Finale at their leisure.

How it worked was that players played through this solo event the first time that they logged in after the beginning of Season 6. In this solo event, the player helps Jonesy and eventually meets The Foundation, the leader of The Seven, as they try to close various portals that the Zero Point is creating.

Eventually, The Foundation sacrifices himself by sealing himself and the Zero Point inside of the new point of interest known as The Spire. This is the only on-demand live event that Epic has ever done for Fortnite, which is a shame since it addressed many concerns about not everyone being able to enjoy the live events.

Rift Tour

The Rift Tour was the next live concert event that Epic Games hosted and it was none other than the biggest singer of the present day: Ariana Grande. Fans had long wanted to see the queen of pop appear in Fortnite and it finally happened in a massive way.

The Rift Tour was an insane event that was preceded by the arrival of new items that players could get themed around Ariana Grande, including the very best skin to ever release in Fortnite and more. Once the concert began, players were treated to a dazzling concert that took place across rifts and through many different stunning realms as Ariana Grande performed various songs from her career.

Operation Sky Fire

Operation Sky Fire

Season 7 Invasion concluded with what was teased all season long: that the alien mothership would eventually start its invasion of the island. To stop the invasion, Dr. Slone sends the player and a team to the mothership to destroy it. It turns out that the doctor had her own goals in the end, though.

In the event of trying to stop the mothership, the player is left behind while the aliens activate countless cubes. They were led by a Golden Cube that unleashed their power and sent the player flying out of the mothership, leading to the arrival of the final season of Chapter 2.

The End of Chapter 2

The grand finale of the cubes and aliens happened at once with The Cube Queen beginning her destruction of the island. In the midst of this, The Foundation returned, saved Jonesy, and revealed himself to be The Rock. Because of the invasion on the island, the island was also flipped upside down.

On the other side of the island, the players landed and Fortnite Chapter 3, Season 1 began. Not an entirely new island like the case from Chapter 1 to 2, this time around, players are now playing on the other side of the island. This is the most recent live event to happen in the game.

FAQs

Question: How does a Fortnite live event work?

Answer: How a Fortnite live event works is that Epic Games will announce a particular event that is coming up, be a story-driven one for the season or an in-game concert and the like. Whatever the event is, there is a specific schedule for when it will happen, even if there are multiple showings.
When the time comes for the event to finally happen, players will gather in the game at the correct time to ensure that they do not miss out on anything that is going to happen. Unfortunately, there are caps to the number of players who can see it, which means that some players could miss out.
Once the live event begins, there is a chance that no one else will be let into the showing of the event. When it is over, there is also a chance that that was the only time to ever get to see it live. During the event, many times, the player will be able to move around, build, and even shoot. There are even some live events where the player has to play an active role in a specific gameplay mission.

Question: How long is a Fortnite event?

Answer: This will depend on the event in question. At the start of the live events in Fortnite, they were quite short, usually no more than five minutes in length. But as events have expanded over time, they have become slightly longer, especially for the concert ones.
For regular seasonal live events, players can expect it to last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes in length. The in-game concerts and showings do not usually go much longer than that but they could last half an hour at times.
For the seasonal events, they will usually last a few days at the minimum and around two weeks at the max unless an extension is announced for whatever reason.

Question: How do I see an event in Fortnite?

Answer: Making sure not to miss out on a live event in Fortnite can be a frustrating experience at times. Thankfully, we have a few tips for you. For one, we recommend double-checking the time for the event in your specific time zone and country and making an alarm for then.
That said, you should show up to a live event much earlier than the stated time. This is because, as mentioned, these events can and will fill up before the event even starts. Epic always recommends showing up 30 minutes beforehand but we highly recommend entering the game earlier than that, at least 45 minutes before, if not an hour.
30 minutes prior to the start of the event, there will be a special playlist that will open up for most of them. Some won’t have a special playlist mode but most do so select it where you usually find your game modes and then enter the lobby.
From there, you should be good to go so long as your connection does not drop and you should be able to wait to see the live event in full. You can even enter most events as a party with your friends.
However, if you do miss out on any live event, be sure to check and see if it has multiple showings. For most seasonal events, like The End, it is a one-time deal so, in that case, you will need to look up someone’s recorded version online.

Conclusion

The Fortnite events are some of the best parts of the battle royale game, encapsulating why it is so unique from its competitors and why there are millions who still love playing it today. There really is nothing else like a live event in Fortnite due to the level of quality and the scope of what it is able to do.

That said, it is only one (albeit major) part of the Fortnite experience. We recommend checking out our Fortnite slang and terminology guide as well, which will teach you some of the lingo that is commonly used in parties and lobbies across the game. This way, no matter what event you are doing, you’ll be able to understand what your teammates are saying to you.

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