Season 9 of Fortnite, said to begin the first week of December 2021, is quickly approaching, with much anticipation from the fans on what can be expected. A new season of Fortnite always means new content: battle passes, skins, weapons, maps, and more.
After being disappointed by the last two seasons, fans call Epic to bring back the "OG" Fortnite. Some hints and clues left in loading screens and cut scenes have led to a major debate on new arrivals. Here are some of the expected changes coming to the game, according to Reddit.
New Weapons
New and old weapons are constantly being rotated in and out of Fortnite, for good or ill. There has been the return of the tactical SMG, silenced weapons, and even more classic Fortnite weapons. The new season is expected to come with more returning weapons and, most likely, many new ones. These new weapons are hopefully going to help with countering builds more effectively.
Chapter 2, Season 8 has already shown glimpses in the last month of new weapons that will probably carry on in the next season, as well. Combat weapons were added to the game, which showed a faster fire rate but more recoil. There was also the shockwave launcher that was particularly helpful in countering against builds and escaping risky situations. SilverSavior123 says, "Now what I want to happen is to rotate through some more unique items and weapons than just the standard AR/AUG/Heavy AR/Pump Shotgun/Tactical Shotgun/SMG/Rapid Fire SMG/Bolt Action Sniper/Pistol."
More Vehicles
Epic has given Fortnite an array of vehicles in the past few seasons: planes, helicopters, boats, UFOs, and finally, drivable cars. They have even brought back some more exotic vehicles, like the shopping cart and the mech. It's only right to expect bigger and better vehicles to come in the upcoming season.
When the drivable car and the pumpable gas were added, it opened up a field of opportunity for all sorts of vehicles to be added. So far, most new vehicles have been flying ones, besides the return of the mech. Rifted-06 says, "We haven't gotten a new vehicle in 3 seasons. Whether it be a new vehicle or a fully unvaulted vehicle, I hope we get something next season." A more powerful land vehicle with the potential of holding a whole squad is a hopeful new arrival coming in Season 9.
New Wild Animals
Another change Epic included in this next generation of Fortnite is the addition of wildlife. The world has become even more threatening and the competition even more challenging as players now have to face other players and animals.
There have been many additions of aggressive wild animals: wolves, velociraptors, boars, and sharks, as well as non-aggressive ones: frogs and chickens. It is expected that players will see more of these wild animals and some new ones as well. A Kangaroo, in particular, is one that was potentially leaked for the upcoming season, according to user yesjon. He says, "Kangaroos were also part of a spectrogram of an official Fortnite teaser, meaning kangaroos will DEFINITELY be arriving this season." Will there also be new ways to tame the animals to fight alongside the players? Only time will tell!
Spiderman Crossover & Character Skin
A great feature in Fortnite has been the crossovers that have led to many more beloved Fornite skins, character accessories, locations, and more. There have been many different crossovers already, from DC and Marvel to anime and other video game titles. They have certainly tempted players to spend a little to get their favorite characters.
The Spider-Man: No Way Home movie premiering in December and the release of the new Fortnite Season have led fans to believe there will be a Spider-Man crossover coming. BucketHerro on Reddit shared a tweet that seems to prove it and says, "Spider-Man is apparently coming to Fortnite Chapter 3." This means new, updated Spider-Man skins, potentially new in-game locations, and maybe even some web-shooting.
Original Art Style
Fortnite's art style has changed drastically since the start of Chapter 2. There have been updated animations and more realistic landscapes, especially for those on the new enhanced consoles. Even though these art updates might have been meant to better the gaming experience, fans are claiming it feels like a completely different game and are actually calling for Epic to bring back the original classic video game style used in the game's launch.
There have been some theorizing into the loading screens and concept art that might be revealing subtle hints at the art style for upcoming seasons. Some debate suggests new loading screens for Naruto and the Cube Queen have subtle bits of that old, cartoony Fortnite art in them, and it may be a hint of what is to come. Reddit user ColdVistor claims, "Fortnite is going to feel like Fortnite again!!"
Biomes
Biomes used to be a huge factor in the original Fortnite maps, but have slowly become less and less extreme as the game has evolved. They could, however, be making a comeback in Season 9 if the world is destroyed once again.
At one point in Fortnite, around Chapter 1, Season 8 especially, the differences in landscapes were very prominent. Players could venture from the snow and glaciers in Happy Hamlet to the desert around Paradise Palms, the volcano and jungles surrounding the Pressure Plant and Sunny Steps, and hills and waters with Pleasant Park and Loot Lake. Binguswasepiclytaken theorizes, "I'm not saying the old map will come back, but if it did I think the zero point would turn the island back in time (like it did in season 6) and bring back the old map."
Winter Theme
With the newest season coming in December, it is expected that there will be some festive and holiday-themed updates included, and perhaps more gifts. Fortnite usually spreads some Christmas cheer around this time of year, and it is expected again this time around.
Epic has given fans a taste of Christmas in the game every year so far, from the arrival of Happy Hamlet to the 12 days of Christmas gifts. There is almost a guarantee that some holidays will be included in the new update again, perhaps new skins, harvesting tools, and back bling. Koooooomar shared a teaser video claiming, "Next Season: Winter is Coming..."
Possible City POI
Ever since Tilted Towers was taken out of the game, players have been hoping it will someday make a return. Even though its return is not assured, a new city could be added as a place of interest.
Redditor victxrrrs speculates, "These two losing screens make me theorize that the zero point is going to release a reality wave that will transform the map and add a neo-city POI." Since the locations Tilted Towers, Neo-Tilted, and Gotham City, there hasn't quite been a location that has amounted up to a full city. It might just be time for Epic to bring one back.
A Major Game Update
Matthewreiter73 speculates "Fortnite really going all out on Chapter 3, 'major game update.'" Epic has left messages stating they are doing their best to fix bugs and other issues that players have experienced, and in saying that, they also mentioned that a "major update" could be coming very soon.
A major game update could mean several things for the game. Epic has made various changes before to menus, game modes, and gameplay in the past, and this is probably what is to be expected for any other updates approaching. They could be switching up layouts and menus again for the next season, fixing recurring bugs, or just referencing the change of season in general.
Chapter 3
The biggest theory circulating with fans is that the next season will not be Season 9 but simply the start of Chapter 3. If that is the case, gamers can expect an abundance of new content coming to the game very soon.
Fans following the story and lore behind each season speculate that Chapter 3 could be coming early and that this Season 8 will be the end of Season 2. The biggest factor playing into this theory is that the current season calculates to the average time previous chapters played out. NotAPersonl0 says, "For chapter 2 to last a similar amount of time as chapter 2, it would likely end after season 8."