Fortnite Season 3 Start Date: Delayed To Next Week

All good things end… eventually. Season 2 of Fortnite Chapter 2 was originally scheduled to conclude on April 30, but a few weeks prior, developer Epic Games announced an extension. Season 2 was then set to conclude on June 4, and then June 11. In light of the ongoing protests in the US related to the murder of George Floyd, Epic has announced plans to push things back once again. Season 3 will now begin on June 17, and the major event preceding it has also been pushed as a result.

There has been some unexpected extra Season 2 content to keep you busy in the meantime, as well as the Doomsday event that could have major implications for Season 3 itself.

When Does Fortnite Season 3 Start?

Fortnite Season 3 is launching on June 17, immediately after the end of Season 2. Battle Pass challenges are available to complete until that new date. The Device event–better known as the Doomsday event–will take place on June 15.

What Can You Do In Fortnite While You Wait?

Prior to Season 3’s launch, there will be some sort of “Doomsday Event” happening, officially called The Device. It was also delayed from May 30 to June 6, and has most recently been pushed to June 15. While the extra wait is certainly going to be difficult for the most-dedicated players, it should also make the eventual revelation that much more satisfying. Epic Games has hit a home run on most of these map-changing events so far.

Now that Season 2 will be running for several more weeks, Epic says there will be “lots” of additional content coming to the game. “We have multiple game updates on the way that will deliver fresh gameplay, new Challenges, bonus XP, and a couple more surprises up our sleeve!” the developer teased in a blog post.

Season 3 is already being teased with in-game posters discovered at Lazy Lake. They focus on sharks and water content and seemingly reference Season 3 directly in their files. It’s rumored The Device could send sections of the map underwater, and that’s what a new Fortnite Season 3 leak points to.

This certainly isn’t the first time Epic has extended a season of Fortnite. Season 1 of Chapter 2 was similarly extended by several weeks from its original December 2019 end date into February 2020. During that additional time, the developer held numerous events in the game, including a Star Wars Episode IX preview and a Harley Quinn crossover event.

Season 2 has its own comic book crossover. Battle Pass owners can unlock a Deadpool skin by clearing some of this season’s Deadpool challenges. An alternate, unmasked Deadpool skin can also be unlocked by completing Week 8’s Deadpool missions, which ask you to find Deadpool’s pool floaty and dance at Deadpool’s Yacht party.

Season 2’s extension means you have more time to complete any weekly challenges you may not have gotten around to from this season. If you need help clearing those, you can find all of our maps and guides in our complete Fortnite Season 2 challenges roundup