Fortnite Chapter 6 countdown: start date, leaks, map changes

It’s always a great time for Fortnite players when a new chapter rolls around. Sure, seasonal releases are exciting but a new chapter is what brings major changes to the gameplay and players are dropped into a new map.

The ongoing Chapter 2 Remix has been a hit among players as they are all set to attend the season-ending live event, a concert experience featuring Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD. While the event is still a few days away, teasers and leaks for the upcoming Fortnite Chapter 6 have already surfaced on social media.

While the current Chapter 5 was all about action, thrill, and return of the iconic Marvel collab, Chapter 6 Season 1 promises a new theme and some collabs that are sure to appeal to the player base. As you wait for the new season to arrive, we’ve got you covered with its start date, all the leaks so far, and what the new map would look like right here.

What is the new Fortnite season called?

The upcoming Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1 is called Oni Hunters (also called Demon Hunters) as the official description in-game asks players to “prepare to slay demons.”

The new season is based around a Japanese theme which will bring numerous collabs featuring Japanese anime, films, etc., and will also bring gameplay tied to samurai and Oni legends.

According to Epic, here’s the full description of the new season: Welcome to Oninoshima, where demons roam. Explore this mystical and beautiful land, obtain masks, wield swords, and survive. Experience a never-before-seen Fortnite fused with Japanese culture!

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1 start date and downtime details

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1: Oni Hunters is set to release on December 1, 2024, just a few hours after the Remix Finale live event has wrapped up.

The live event is set to premiere on November 30, at 2 PM ET, and will also have a second show just a few hours later. So you can expect Fortnite to go into downtime around 8 PM ET, which may last for around 8 hours, which will be 4 AM ET.

Since downtimes are longer when a new chapter rolls around, expect it to further be extended as Epic updates the servers and the game itself.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1 teasers and leaks so far

New Battle Pass

The Battle Pass for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 1: Oni Hunters is full of Japanese-themed warriors and also has a few familiar faces as well. The first outfit in the key art, wearing Red is rumored to be a snapshot of Chapter 4 villain Kado Thorne as he’s also a time traveler and this Fortnite season may serve as his origins in the lore.

Players can also see a new Hope skin which they’re quite excited about. Apart from these, three new characters codenamed Demon Girl, Skater Girl, and Kitsun Ninja are also arriving in the pass and are yet to be fully revealed.

However, the biggest blockbuster in the Battle Pass is the inclusion of a Godzilla skin and a Baymax skin (from the film Big Hero 6) as both Toho and Disney are collab partners with Epic this season.

New Fortnite map and weapons

Fortnite Chapter 6 will bring a Japanese-themed island called Oninoshima, full of new biomes including a Sakura Forest, a Samurai Forest memorial, an Oni Castle, a futuristic cityscape like Mega City, and many more. These locations will replace the existing Chapter 5 map and will create a new island altogether.

When it comes to weapons, Katanas are said to be the latest form of weaponry that will be introduced in the game. Alongside that, a new Assault Rifle was teased in the Hope skin teaser and a new Oni Masks item which will give players up to four abilities, namely Fire, Wind, Water and Void will also be added to the loot pool.

These masks will function similarly to the Augments and Bending Scrolls added to Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 respectively. The map will also have a bunch of special chests, like there were in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, which will grant mythic weapons and unique items to players which are speculated to become the new meta in the game.

More info on weapons is yet to be released by Fortnite.

Two new beasts take over the island

As mentioned earlier, Godzilla is arriving with the latest Fortnite season as a Battle Pass skin. However, it is currently rumored that it will also become a boss on the island who will occasionally attack players once it’s out of deep waters.

Furthermore, a giant turtle with a forest biome growing on top of it was also spotted in the main key art, which players speculate to be their next Klombo who is going to be a friendly beast they can interact with. Several other theories also suggest that the turtle may be a moving POI that will keep rotating around the island during or across active Battle Royale matches.

Demon Slayer collab

Fortnite has also hinted at a collab with the popular anime Demon Slayer where players will see characters from the series like Tanjiro added to the game as skins. Info about the collab has been leaked on social media where leaks suggest terms like “Defeat Demons with your Squad”, “Demon Hunters”, “Demon Island”, and “Oni / Demon”.

Each Fortnite chapter a big anime collab usually takes place, so it’s safe to say that players will be in for a thrill with this one since it perfectly ties with the theme of gameplay next season.

Victory Umbrella

With a new Fortnite season, comes a fresh Victory Umbrella. The Chapter 6 Season 1 Victory Umbrella is called Shogun Brella and houses an ancient Shogun Helmet on the top of the parasol.

The glider itself features steel from Samurai Swords and Shields and also has a ninja star logo on the top of the helmet. While the image above shows the Ranked Brella for next season, the design will be quite similar to the one that will be given to players for free in regular Battle Royale lobbies after securing a dub.

Fortnite OG mode arrives in Chapter 6

Alongside the new map and additions to the core Battle Royale game mode, Fortnite is also bringing an entirely new mode that will add back Chapter 1 to the game and will take players through a journey across all the OG seasons.

The mode called Fortnite OG Chapter 1: Season 1 is set to bring the classic 2017 gameplay that Fortnite Battle Royale launched alongside its original loot pool and weapon mechanics. However, the big shocker to the community that has them excited for the game mode is the return of the Double Pump meta.

To those unaware, the Double Pump meta ruled the OG Fortnite days since players could swap between two shotguns in their inventory with no delay and deal heavy damage to enemies. The meta is returning alongside the OG Pump Shotgun design which was removed in Chapter 2. But that’s not all.

Alongside the Double Pump, OG Assault and Burst Rifles are also returning and Electric Traps (also known as Wall Dynamo) will be added to the loot pool. While the full list of features or weapons isn’t yet revealed by Epic, players hope the gameplay, movement, and graphics should also revert to how it looked in Chapter 1 days.

The mode is also bringing its own Battle Pass known as the OG Pass which players would be able to purchase along with their Battle Pass. If you want them both, we suggest subscribing to Fortnite Crew.