Fortnite Chapter 5 Start Date, Big Bang Event, And Everything Else We Know

As the whirlwind Fortnite OG season is coming to a close after just a month, it's time to return back to the future with Fortnite Chapter 5. While OG season has been a resounding success with Fortnite pulling in more than 5 million players each weekend, this old map is pretty creaky and not really up to snuff in terms of design. And so here comes Chapter 5. It looks like Fortnite is going to expand pretty dramatically in this new chapter.

Yes, that means we actually know a lot about what's coming up in Chapter 5--several major additions to Fortnite's metaverse have been rumored for nearly a year, and it looks like they're all finally happening. December is shaping up to be possibly the biggest month in Fortnite's history with the introduction of a major new Lego mode, a Rocket League-related racing mode, a new rhythm game from Harmonix, and of course a brand-new battle royale island. Let's dive into what we know so far.

When does Fortnite Chapter 5 begin?

Fortnite Chapter 5 is expected to start on the morning of Sunday, December 3, though an official launch date and time has yet to be announced. This estimate is based on in-game information, including when the game goes offline for the Chapter 5 patch.

Will there be a live event to conclude Fortnite OG/Chapter 4?

Yes! Fortnite hasn't had any live events since the poorly received Fracture event a year ago, which is the longest drought for Fortnite live events since the game started doing them in Chapter 1. But we're finally getting one at the end of Fortnite OG, dubbed The Big Bang, that will take place on Saturday, December 2 starting at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET.

While most of the specifics of the event will probably remain under wraps right up until it begins, Epic has shared the most important detail already: Rapper Eminem will be a major part of the Big Bang event--he has three skins in the item shop right now, with one of them getting an exclusive style if you attend The Big Bang. That skin, Marshall Never More, is not free--those who purchase it will receive an exclusive bonus style from the event. And you don't have to already own the skin. If you attend the event, and then buy Marshall Never More a year later, the game will remember and unlock the bonus style for you.

You should expect this event to be some sort of remix of Chapter 1's The End event, which saw the battle royale island get sucked into a black hole. Unlike that event, however, Fortnite will not be going completely offline at its conclusion. User-made Creative maps will remain online until 8:30 PM PT / 11:30 PM ET on November 2.

What can we expect from Chapter 5?

We don't know much about what's in store for battle royale yet. Presumably, there will be a new map created during The Big Bang event, but word is pretty quiet on new gameplay mechanics or changes. That's likely because there are a ton of leaks related to new modes outside of BR--more on that in a second.

One bit we do have is a potential leak of the new map.

This map, which is currently in the Fortnite game files, is named Helios. That could indicate it's not the new battle royale map, because all four previous BR maps were named for Greek deities whose names started with A, and Helios obviously does not follow that trend. But it's possible nonetheless.

Otherwise, we have essentially no buzz about what to expect from battle royale in Chapter 5, aside from long-term rumors about wall-running and first-person mode. But there haven't been any specific rumors lately about those features being implemented in Chapter 5.

Now, let's talk about the other stuff, which is expected to launch after Chapter 5 begins. So when Chapter 5 starts, the game will still offer battle royale and Creative mode like it you may be used to. But sometime during Chapter 5 Season 1, we should receive three major new game modes from Epic.

Fortnite x Lego

This collaboration has been rumored and leaked for a year, and now it's finally happening. Fortnite x Lego sounds more or less like a Lego-branded Minecraft competitor, built inside Fortnite. In this mode, you'll play as a customizable mini-figure, and you'll collect resources and craft and build stuff with them. Lego Fortnite will have its own system of cosmetics separate from the stuff we've been collecting for years for battle royale and Creative modes--it doesn't seem like you'll be able to wear your Darth Vader skin in Lego Fortnite.

One of the rumored highlights of this mode is called the Digital Twin, which would somehow allow you to transfer something your own likeness created with real Lego minifigs into the game. But we haven't gotten any further details about that in a while.

Fortnite Festival by Harmonix

Another very-long-rumored mode is a rhythm game from Guitar Hero creator Harmonix. This mode sounds like they've essentially made Rock Band inside Fortnite, but there hasn't been any word about physical instruments. At the very least, you should expect this mode to be playable with a controller or keyboard, like any other Fortnite mode, but hopefully instrument support will happen too. If so, it wouldn't be unrealistic to hope that your old USB Rock Band guitar you have in the back of your closet will work with it.

This mode seems like it will also have its own slate of microtransactions, like in-game instruments and outfits and, of course, new songs to play--such as, according to HypeX, Thunder by Imagine Dragons, Poker Face by Lady Gaga, Toto by Africa, and Numb by Linkin Park. Reportedly, it will also play Fortnite Lobby Tracks, which might mean the reverse is true as well: Songs you buy in the Festival will also work as Lobby Tracks.

Rocket League Racing

This racing mode is a crossover with Epic's Rocket League, using Rocket League vehicle mechanics for a ridiculously over-the-top kart racing style of game. Given that Fortnite Crew has included the Rocket Pass for a while now, it's expected that at least some cars you own in Rocket League will transfer over, with Rocket League and Fortnite forming a new shared pool of cosmetics.

In each case, Lego, Festival, and Rocket League Racing, we're dealing only with leaks and rumors, to be clear. But it's true that basically everything leaks in Fortnite, and these leaks appear credible, so we expect to see them come to fruition in the near future.

What will the Chapter 5 Season 1 battle pass look like?

There have been no rumors thus far about the first battle pass of Chapter 5. As we learn more about Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1, we'll update this story.