In Fortnite Battle Royale there has been a strange situation for a while. Season 1 of Chapter 2 has been dragging on forever. New events cannot disguise the fact that the excitement has long been gone. We can expect an end to this eternal chapter on February 15, when Fortnite should continue. The question is: At what pace?
This is the situation: Normally, a season in Fortnite lasts a little more than 10 weeks. That used to be enough time to:
- bring about 4 major balance patches
- change the map 8 times
- give players enough time to complete the Battle Pass with weird skins
- hint at any secrets that sparked speculation about how Fortnite would change
- keep players constantly engaged
The course of a season in Fortnite was clear in 2018 and throughout much of 2019:
- A new season started with a bang. New gameplay ideas were introduced and given plenty of room: airplanes, huge mechs, or new movement items
- then the season became a bit quieter in the middle, bugs were fixed, secrets built up
- towards the end of a season, the story became more important, something was brewing in the background, somehow it always led to an event or a disaster
- with the start of a new season, some “typical gameplay” elements from the last season were removed and it started all over again
Fortnite – Game on Speed
This was the result: Fortnite felt like a game on speed from early 2018 to mid-2019.
Things were constantly changing, nothing was really stable, fundamental changes were made to the core of the game – Fortnite was a game under pressure.
Fortnite Season 1 ends on February 15
This is different now: The current season in Fortnite, Season 1 Chapter 2, started on October 14, 2019: An event devoured the map, and Fortnite was unplayable for a few days.
Currently, the game indicates that Season 1 ends on February 15, but that’s a Saturday. It is believed that the season will actually end either on February 6 or February 13, both Thursdays. (via Fortniteinsider)
If it stays at February 15, that would be 125 days: That makes the season nearly twice as long as originally intended.
However, the mechanisms in Fortnite were designed for a “normally long” season. This means: Regular players have finished the Battle Pass for over a month now.
The season feels longer because Epic has significantly reduced the development pace with the start of the chapter: There are hardly any noticeable updates or changes to the map anymore.
Fortnite has become overall simpler and easier, while the last seasons of Chapter 1 became crazier with constantly new movement items and finesse.
Although there have been “special” events in Fortnite in recent weeks, such as the Star Wars event or the Winter Festival, that barely comforted over the long quiet period, especially since the Star Wars event also introduced some bugs.
Fortnite is catching its breath after a year and a half under pressure
Why is it taking so long this time? Apparently, a number of factors came together at Epic Games here. There was already a longer winter break in 2018, during which the constantly working developers were given a break. This is likely to be the case again:
- In 2018, the “December season” also lasted longer than usual, but Season 7 didn’t start until December 6 and not as early as mid-October.
- Season 1 is now also lasting longer than planned. However, it started in October, making it actually too early. Epic apparently deemed October a good time for the PR action surrounding the “black hole”.
The timing is particularly strange because, at this financially crucial Christmas time, Fortnite was actually out of steam: In December 2018, Fortnite achieved record revenues with special skins and packs – but the season was still fresh at that time.
Will Fortnite remain so quiet or will it rev up again in 2020?
Here’s what’s next: Players will likely have to wait a little more than a month to see how Fortnite proceeds. Season 2 is expected to start in mid-February, probably on February 13, 2020.
The question is:
- whether the next season in Fortnite will again be “normally long” and Epic will pick up the pace from 2018
- or whether Fortnite has settled down and 2020 will be a “more normal game” where not so much changes constantly
Update 23.1. 20:45: According to a new leak, Season 2 in Fortnite should even start later than originally thought.
