The latest update (v11.10) to Epic Games’ battle royal phenomenon Fortnite reintroduced the spooky limited-time Halloween event know as Fortnitemares. It’s said to be back with “a vengeance” as even the new Chapter 2 map fails to escape the imposing Storm King’s reach.
The event brings with it several new cosmetic items to be purchasable from the in-game Item Shop. All new outfits and items are listed below, along with their descriptions as detailed in the announcement:
- Soccer Zombie Outfits — “Don’t worry — you won’t break off your limbs while breaking a sweat.”
- Storm King Fist Pickaxe — “The vain Storm King created this Pickaxe in his own honor.”
- Cryptic Curse Bundle — “Get the Wrath Outfit and Time Keeper Back Bling instantly and complete Challenges to unlock style options!”
- Final Reckoning Pack — “Includes the mortifying Catrina Outfit, the Mourning Glory Back Bling, the eerie Willow Outfit, Dolly Back Bling, the ominous Blacklight Outfit, and Indigo Wings Back Bling.”
As for new gameplay elements, the Storm King (pictured above) returns to challenge players in the Storm King LTM. After putting a squad together, players will need to work as a unit to stop him from destroying Chapter 2’s fresh new island. If successful, players will receive an event-exclusive special Umbrella, which serves as a form of Glider skin.
On the competitive front, Fortnitemares introduces the community-made Gun Fright mode, which was developed by Fortnite community member BluDrive. This game type is a 2v2 showdown where players are said to engage in fast-paced firefights, making for a great test of any duo’s gameplay and communicational skills as matches play out over multiple rounds. (Editor’s Note: Clearly a take on Modern Warfare’s fast-paced and extremely popular “Gunfight” mode.)
Fortnitemares is the first event to be held following the game’s soft relaunch earlier in October 2019; a relaunch that was preempted by leaks from multiple sources, including everything from tech company Apple to an individual game tester that’s now facing consequences. Regardless, Epic Games will be hoping that this month’s changes to the title can help turn around its fortunes where digital revenue is concerned. In September 2019, digital spending on Fortnite fell by 43%.
