Epic Games has dropped a major bombshell to the players of Fortnite. The weekend-long special event called Freaky Fortnitemares is their ticket to the underworld. A drastic change in the Reload map is in the works. The only Reload map that will be there temporarily is Nitemare Island. This island will be loaded with Rare Chests and Supercharged XP for everyone to get over their “little isle of horrors.” The most exciting part of it? It only happens once; come Monday, everything will be back to how it was and the event would have disappeared.
So, what does this all mean for the players who are going to be playing Fortnite during Halloween weekend? To start off with, the Reload rotation is going to be experienced in a very different way. Nitemare Island is the home of the dead and the spooky, which is a fitting theme for the Halloween season. The presence of the Rare Chests implies that every player will enjoy better loot compared to the normal, which is always a good thing. And the Supercharged XP? This is Epic’s indirect way of saying “go get those levels now” since this bonus won’t last forever.
Fortnite’s Twitter account was the medium through which the news was disseminated, and players were, well, let’s just say they were very vocal about it. The reactions were quite diverse, as they usually are whenever Epic alters the game in any way.
There were, however, some players that were very much averse. A user called iJhughes17_ stated: “I love freaky fortnite” in a very simple manner, while IceKnightK perceived the news as “wild” but in a positive way. Conversely, there were those gamers who were not really thrilled about the island selection. Arabian Mags for one said that the current map is the “worst ever” and asked for “slurp rush” to be brought back instead. Ouch indeed!
What is more, the number of players who used the Halloween announcement as a reason to ask about entirely different things is very telling. ZaP for instance, claimed that a big live event next week which brings the “Oninoshima saga” to an end is a reason why Epic should not be promoting Halloween. Others had similar doubts, with hedhehrh asking, “Why are you not discussing big things until the last minute?” “We have a live event next week and you are saying nothing about it.”
Mixed feelings of Halloween excitement and requests for information on unrelated Fortnite features were reflected in the comments. For example, Kane wanted to be “that boxer for Halloween” while MGRaidenEnjoyer was inquiring about Metal Gear wave 2. Others were even calling for the Muertos set and Day of the Dead items to be returned, such as Cactus Bunny who posted, “I just want the day of the dead stuff back” with a sad face emoji.
Then, as usual, the quality of life requests were brought up in the discussions. User k0ntroversial seems to be on “day 701 of asking for a rotating mini map option,” which is quite a dedication, I assume? Both Nova and rixper asked for the old movement animations back, with rixper going so far as to use the hashtag #bringbackompp. FN_Assist also appeared to be genuinely confused why Epic would choose to X the Broom and Scythe items during the Fortnitemares weekend—of all times—which does seem like a strange decision, as one would typically associate that with Halloween.
Some requests were a tad more precise than others. NinAmuro57 called for a “release date for Mothman” with the plea “free the fuzzy boy” while Dominic pointed out that Epic keeps using a certain emote in trailers but that emote will not make it to the players. Fightmeguy01 just wanted to know, “when will the Zombie shambles emote be in the shop?”—honestly, a very reasonable question for Halloween weekend.
To top everything, there was even a hacker-related situation, with notBr0knheart posting about “a blatant hacker using aim bot and stream sniping a streamer for literally 2 days straight” and how no action has been taken by Epic, despite multiple reports. Such problems can never be a good thing for the image of any game.
But wait, what was I saying? Right, the Halloween event. So basically, if you are jumping onto Fortnite Reload this weekend, expect a new look and a new feel. Even the XP boost alone makes it worth your time, even if you do not consider yourself a big fan of the Halloween theme. Chests filled with rare items will likely lead to faster acquisition of better gear, which may result in some very interesting matches.
It is an Epic Games classic move—create a limited-time mode with special perks to keep things lively and to attract players to the game over the weekend. They have been pulling off this trick for years, but Halloween events always seem to be the most reputable ones. The reason is that the eerie atmosphere mingles so nicely with the graphic style of Fortnite.
The limited time till Monday makes it feel urgent and people want to plunge in now instead of waiting. FOMO is indeed a part of the gaming industry and Epic is quite good at utilizing it. Even if Nitemare Island and its surroundings do not appeal to you or you consider it the worst ever, the chances are that you will still give it a try just for the perks. The Supercharged XP is simply too good to be overlooked if you are trying to level up your battle pass or whatever.
So, yes, no matter if you like it or not, Fortnite is getting spookier this weekend. The comments signify that the players do have a lot of things they want from Epic Games, but for the coming week, we will get an island dedicated to horror with the best loot and quicker leveling. If you ask me, it is not a bad way to spend a Halloween weekend. Just make sure you do not get too attached because when Monday rolls around, Fortnite will be back to its usual self. The spooky season is not waiting for anyone and neither is Epic’s content calendar, it seems.
