Epic Games delays new Fortnite season until June

The next season of Fortnite has been delayed until early June, developer Epic Games has confirmed.

The video games maker said Chapter 2 – Season 3 would now be launched on June 4, having originally been planned to go live on April 30.

Epic Games did not confirm any reason for the delay or if it was caused by restrictions to developers who have had to work from home during the coronavirus lockdown.

Fortnite is one of the most popular video games in the world, with millions of players taking part in its 100-person, last-player-standing matches.

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New season updates have traditionally taken place every few months, and are often notable moments and even interactive experiences for players, with large-scale events taking place inside the game – regularly watched by millions – to mark the transition to a new season.

Last year to mark the end of the first 10 seasons and “chapter one” of the game, Fortnite went offline for several days, with the game map replaced with a black hole, from which eventually a brand new game map appeared.

In a statement on its website, Epic Games said: “We’re extending Chapter 2 – Season 2 of Fortnite beyond the original April 30 date. Our plan is to launch Chapter 2 – Season 3 on June 4.

“Before then, there’s lots of content coming in the current Season. 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!

“For continued updates on the new Fortnite Season and other plans, we’ll keep you up to speed here and on our social channels.”

Since its initial release in 2017, Fortnite has amassed over 100 million players, with aspects of the game also working their way into popular culture.

Dance moves seen in the game have been replicated by a number of athletes during major global events, including as goal celebrations by England star Dele Alli and France striker Antoine Greizmann during the 2018 Fifa World Cup.