Fortnite Chapter 2 Battle Pass Explainer: How To Level Up, Skins, Emotes, And More

Following Season 10's big world-ending event, Fortnite's Chapter 2 update has arrived, marking a brand-new start for the hit battle royale game. Rather than picking up with Season 11, we're now in Season 1 of Chapter 2, and that means there's a new Battle Pass packed with cosmetics and other enticing rewards to unlock.

That's not all that's changed this season. Epic has completely revamped Fortnite's map, and there are new ways to level up your Battle Pass. If you're new to how this all works or simply need a refresher, we break down everything you need to know about the Battle Pass and how you can get your hands on all the goodies it holds below.

What Is The Fortnite Battle Pass?

The Battle Pass is probably the most important thing in Fortnite, and it's something you'll want to spend cash to get if you plan to play the game long-term. The pass effectively is the container that holds all the customization items players use to make their characters look cool--we're talking skins, emotes, wraps, gliders, and back bling, among other things. To actually get all this, however, you'll need to play lots of Fortnite. Doing certain things while playing like eliminating opponents or completing challenges will net you medals and XP, which level up the Battle Pass. As you gain Battle Pass levels, you'll unlock the items attached to the various milestones.

How Do Battle Pass Challenges Work?

In the past, Epic would roll out a new set of Fortnite challenges every week throughout the season. While a handful of these weekly missions were available to all players, the lion's share were available exclusively to Battle Pass holders, and completing them would net you Battle Stars, which would translate to XP that levels your Battle Pass up.

Epic revamped this process dramatically in Season 10. While new batches of challenges were still released every week, this time the weekly sets were only available for Battle Pass holders, and daily challenges were eliminated altogether, which made playing the game much less worthwhile if you didn't spring for a pass. It's currently unclear if Epic will continue that trend this season, but one set of introductory challenges is already available, with more scheduled to arrive on Thursday, October 17, so we'll get a better idea of how this season's challenges will work very soon.

One thing we do know, however, is that there are new ways to level your Battle Pass up this season. In addition to challenges, you'll earn XP and medals for completing activities such as eliminating opponents, looting chests, harvesting materials, and more. These medals will be upgraded the more you complete their associated actions. You'll also be able to increase your level beyond 100 this time around.

How Much Does A Battle Pass Cost?

A Battle Pass will set you back 950 V-Bucks from Fortnite's in-game store. V-Bucks are a currency that's specific to Fortnite, but to get it you'll have to spend real money. It'll cost you around $10 / £8 to get 1,000 V-Bucks, which will get you the Battle Pass and leave you with some digital pocket change to spend elsewhere on the Fortnite store.

Alternatively, you could purchase the Battle Bundle, which is on sale at a 40% discount. It costs 2,800 V-Bucks and will automatically unlock 25 tiers of the Battle Pass, giving you a bit of a jumpstart. And if you're feeling generous, you have the ability gift a Battle Pass to someone for $9.49 USD directly, rather than spending 950 V-Bucks.

What Are The Battle Pass Rewards?

Some Chapter 2, Season 1 rewards are available for free, but most are locked behind the Battle Pass. If you spend the V-Bucks to pick it up, you'll instantly unlock a couple of skins. Beyond that, rewards include additional skins, wraps--which change the visual style of whatever items they're applied to--pets, emotes, back bling, sprays, new loading screen artwork, music, and more. What everyone aspires to acquire, however, is the progressive outfit at tier 100. These are skins that animate in a cool way. Additionally, you'll be able to earn up to 1,500 V-Bucks by leveling the Battle Pass up throughout the season, which is more than enough to cover the cost of next season's Battle Pass.

What's New In Chapter 2, Season 1?

Before Season 10's "The End" event caused a black hole to destroy everything, Epic had been teasing that some major changes were in store for Fortnite, and sure enough, Chapter 2 revamps the game dramatically. Perhaps the biggest change is the new map, which features 13 new locations to explore along with a handful of returning ones such as Retail Row and Pleasant Park.

Epic has also made numerous mechanical changes to the game. Now, you can swim across bodies of water and even go fishing. To help you traverse the map's numerous waterways more easily, Epic has introduced a new speed boat vehicle. You can also now hoist a downed ally on your shoulders to carry them to safety or heal them from afar using a bandage bazooka.

We're still discovering all the changes in Fortnite, as Epic has not yet released patch notes for the update, so stay tuned to GameSpot for more Fortnite Chapter 2 coverage.