It's been quite some time since Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1 was released. We've been playing on Fortnite’s new map for a record-long four months now. In what has been the longest season ever, we're happy it's finally ending. With the kick-off to Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2, we're finally getting brand new changes to the game, and we can't wait to jump in! This new season of Fortnite has the potential to be one of the biggest seasons yet. With brand new items, weapons, and an ample amount of map changes, there's so much to explore now. Since the new season is finally out, let’s take a look at everything that’s new in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2.

 

Pre-Season Leaks and Rumors

In the days leading up to the new season, Epic Games continued the tradition of releasing teaser images every day until the day of the new season. This was done more notably than any other season, as they released multiple images per day via their Twitter account. Some eagle-eyed Fortnite fans were able to uncover the lore/clues regarding some of these images. All of them had some relation to the former King Midas and featured a golden color scheme. It seemed all but certain that the theme of the new season would be gold.

Along with the clues regarding King Midas, there was also some real-time indication of the new theme. With some objects around the map suddenly turning gold in color, it appeared that Midas’ touch was working its magic. Along with the golden clues regarding the teaser images, there was also some clues about some map changes coming during Chapter 2 Season 2. This was best noted by some Fortnite community members, as they uncovered some background outlines of where the new map changes were going to be.

Multiple Oil Rigs were spotted in the background of the teaser images, and fans were able to piece together that they were going to be added where bunkers appeared on the map. All of the leaks and rumors are all a part of what makes a new Fortnite season so special. And with Chapter 2 Season 2 finally out, it feels amazing to know that some of these leaks came true.

Map Changes

Leaked in the previous days before the season’s release, fans were eager to jump into the map and get a first look at all the new map changes this season. To the joy of many fans, it appears that we were not wrong in saying that Oil Rigs were going to be apart of the new map.! This was just the beginning of the map changes for Chapter 2 Season 2, as there were some notable additions that all relate to the narrative of the game.

Shark is located at the most north-western point of the map. Like its name, it is an island with a massive shark skull through it. This new location is quite far from any other notable POIs, as it is the farthest away from the shore on the entire map.

The Agency is the new massive building at the center of the map. It’s home to Team Ghost, one of the two opposing teams we will have to choose from during Season 2. The building is quite large in size, and it has multiple vents that players are able to sneak through to flank around. There’s also a helipad located outside of the building, so perhaps this is some indication of what is to come later down the line.

The Grotto is an underground section located just south of Dirty Docks. To access these caves, you will need to jump down one of the massive holes in the ground or run through one of the tunnels connecting it to the rest of the map.

The Yacht is a subtle boat located at the north-eastern point of the map. Similar to Hijacked from Call of Duty Black Ops 2, this boat offers multiple layers of combat and some tight corridors.

Along with these new POIs, there are also numerous new smaller buildings throughout the map. Let us know if you find any during Chapter 2 Season 2!

Henchmen and Bosses

This is one of the brand new concepts introduced during Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2. The whole theme of the seasons is Team Ghost vs Team Shadow in a tug of war for the island. Some of the battle pass skins you can unlock also act as mini-bosses during matches. They are all located at the brand new POIs throughout the map and have fantastic rewards. The unique feature about these new map locations is that they are all equipped with henchmen. Acting as simple AI on the map, these guards will alert the main boss if you start shooting at them. Once the main boss comes out, you can easily take them down to loot their body for their Mythical weapon and keycard.

There is a vault in these new POIs. The only way to access these vaults is with the boss’ keycard. By doing so, you will unlock at least two mythical chests along with a supply drop. So perhaps it’s worth your time to try and land at one of these new POIs. The rewards are too good to pass up.

If you’re not in the mood to fight your way through one of these bases, there are telephone booths located just outside each base. These act as a disguise mechanism. Using this will change the outfit of your character to one of the henchmen. This allows you to sneak through to the base and gain quick access to the boss, avoiding all the pesky henchmen along the way. But be careful: as soon as you shoot your weapon, your cover will be blown. 

Mythical Weapons in POIs

As a part of taking down the bosses in each of the new POIs, players will be rewarded with a mythical weapon that the boss is using. Not to be mistaken with a legendary weapon, these are unique. They are far superior than any other version of the gun.

Here are the mythical items you can get from each boss and where:

• Mythical Grapple Gun and Scar: The Shark
• Mythical Boom Bow: The Rig 
• Mythical Drum Gun: The Agency
• Mythical Heavy AR: The Yacht
• Mythical Mini-Gun: The Grotto

Keycards and Shakedowns

One of the components of the new henchmen is that once you take them down, you have the option to perform a “shakedown” on them. Doing this will grant you access to all the chest locations in that specific area. This is quite useful for the brand new map locations, as it’s tough to locate the vaults all on your own.

Along with the shakedown method, the bosses of the new POIs all have specific keycards tailored to their skin. These are the only means to access the vault within the location, and they take up an inventory slot as well.

Porta Potty Teleportation

Scattered around the map are Porta Potties that were once just usual hiding spots for the players during Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1. Now, they are much more than meets the eye. Jumping into certain Porta Potties will teleport you to a completely different area. These are fantastic for rotating or escaping the clustered POIs as they’re located in the vaults as well.

New Weapons and Vaulted Weapons

No-one expected the amount of weapon additions during Chapter 2 Season 2. Usually, Epic Games only adds two or three new weapons into the mix, but it seems they have re-added an ample amount of vaulted weapons. Straying away from the model they used last season,; it appears that the loot pools for public matches and competitive games are identical. This has upset a lot of the community since the season has started.

Along with the Mythical weapons that appear in the game, here are the confirmed weapons being added in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2 via Reddit:

• Minigun (Mythic)
• Remote Explosives
• Suppressed Assault Rifle
• Suppressed Submachine Gun
• Suppressed Sniper Rifle
• Suppressed Pistol
• Heavy Sniper Rifle
• Grapplers (Mythic)
• Drum Gun (Mythic)
• Launch Pad (in competitive playlists)
• Boom Bow (Mythic)
• Tactical Assault Rifle 
• Rapid Fire SMG
• Decoy Grenades - Throwing one of these grenades will spawn a duplicate of yourself. 
• Creeping Cardboard - Similar to the Snowman or Bush item, a Creeping Cardboard is a cardboard box in which players can hide until they’re shot at. 

A lot of the new weapons can be obtained through the henchmen. All the henchmen carry a blue variant of some rifle, and they drop their guns when they are eliminated.

Another common theme in the new season are vaulted weapons, items, and consumables listed below. One of the more notable subtractions from the game are Spike Traps. Having been a core component of the game since Season 2 back in 2018, it’s odd to see them depart. 

• Spike Traps
• P90
• Bolt Action Sniper Rifle

Other Gameplay Mechanics

There are numerous minor gameplay additions and refinements for Chapter 2 Season 2. A lot of these are brand new additions, and some have improved the overall quality of life for Fortnite. Check them out below!

• You can now throw healing items at other players. 
• Upgrading Weapons/Side-Upgrading them takes much longer. 
• You can now drown at some locations on the map.
• Fishing Poles no longer drop from Chests. 
• The Fortnite Emote UI has been changed
• Some players have noted there is a new rare chest compared to the others present in the game.

New Battle Pass Interface

 

The entire battle pass/challenge interface has also been reworked for the new season. This was done to give a fresh look to the players, as this is also far more interactive than before. Along with a new way to access the 100 tiers of the battle pass, the home menu for the battle pass serves as a hub for all of your challenges.

Located on the giant map, it now details where each of the challenges takes place. So there is a lot less wondering where we have to go to find a certain item and so on.

Also on this menu is a locked “VS” tab that we can assume will be used for the Team Ghost vs Team Shadow LTMs happening later on during the season.

One of the first skins you unlock via the battle pass is Mya. This is the first-ever customizable skin in Fortnite. During the season, players can unlock certain features such as hair, tattoos, clothes, and other accessories to customize Mya’s appearance.  Fortnite noted there are over 3 million options for Mya, so everyone is for sure going to have their own style.

Team Ghost vs. Team Shadow

One of the unique features of all the battle pass skins is how later down the line during the season, we’ll get to pick a variant of it. We’ll have to choose from either Team Ghost or Team Shadow, which appears to be the main factions engaging in conflict during this season. We’ll have to wait and see how the story plays out between these two.

Read more:

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 5 Release Date, Map, Battle Pass, Theme, Skins, Trailers, Weapons & More

 

Top image via Epic Games

This article was written by Nick Farrell, a full-time university student who loves talking and writing about video games.