Overview
Save the World Is Now Free-to-Play![]
The day has come! Fortnite Save the World is officially free-to-play, welcoming more players into the fight - including on Nintendo Switch 2. Everyone who pre-registered on the website before April 16 will receive all unlocked community rewards, while all existing STW owners will also receive Superchargers, Vouchers and Gold for keeping the fight going.
Whether you’re upgrading your loadouts, strengthening your collection or stocking up for future Missions, these rewards are there to help you prepare for the battles ahead. Rewards will be granted when you load into Save the World, or after completing the introduction.
And if you’re just jumping in or returning to Homebase, Save the World’s progression system has been overhauled with Schematic updates, simplified XP resources, and rewards that scale with difficulty. Get caught up here.
New Homebase, Who Dis?
New Homebase, Who Dis?[]
Homebase just got a massive upgrade, evolving from a menu-based hub into a fully explorable space that grows alongside your Save the World journey. As you move through its two floors, you’ll find familiar characters and spots inspired by the classic menus, with the atmosphere changing as you unlock features and make progress. It’s also a great place to regroup and hang out with your party between Missions.
Work with Jess and Penny to Earn Rewards in Battle Royale and Save the World
Work with Jess and Penny to Earn Rewards in Battle Royale and Save the World[]
Fortnite: Save the World and Battle Royale are crossing paths through June 5.
Jess and Penny are on a mission, and they need your help on the Battle Royale Island. Find Penny at the Builder’s Barracks and Jess at her nearby campground, then take on their crossover Quests to gain Battle Pass XP along the way. After completing two Quests in the Working with Jess Questline, you’ll be able to purchase the Super Shredder from Jess for that match - a powerful Shotgun-Sniper Rifle hybrid.
Complete the full Questline to send them home and unlock the Super Shredder Schematic in Save the World.
You can also unlock the Jess Outfit by earning 350,000 XP in Save the World during the crossover.
Unusual Readings at Homebase…
Unusual Readings at Homebase…[]
A mysterious signal has drawn the Dark Voyager to Homebase. Head out to investigate his sudden arrival, gather intel and stop his drones from reporting back to the menacing ship.
Completing the A Voyager’s Arrival Questline by April 23 will reward you with People XP, Schematic XP, and an Upgrade Llama.
Defenders, Follow My Lead
Defenders, Follow My Lead[]
Instead of guarding the area around Defender Posts, your Defenders will now follow you into battle. They no longer use ammo, and their weapons no longer lose durability. They can also revive you or your teammates if you go down.
Equip up to three Defenders in your loadout, and they’ll automatically deploy with their default weapons when the Mission starts. If you’re tackling a Mission alone, up to three equipped Defenders can join you. In group play, each team member can bring one Defender, with empty slots filled by other players’ equipped Defenders.
You can direct them with commands and pings, making them particularly effective in solo play while still scaling fairly in larger teams. Choose from Riflemen, Gunslingers, Bruisers, Shotgunners and Snipers to best match your playstyle.
Take them into the field, then let us know what you think about the overhaul.
Auto-Level Your Roster
Auto-Level Your Roster[]
You can now use People XP to automatically level up Heroes and Defenders in your active Loadout, along with Survivors in your Squads. Enable it under Settings > Game > Save the World - Automatically Apply XP.
Note: If you’re just getting started, auto-leveling will already be enabled.
Keybind Update
Keybind Update[]
If you’re heading into Save the World for the first time, your existing Battle Royale keybinds will automatically carry over where possible. If you already play both experiences and your bindings don’t match, you’ll get a pop-up letting you choose whether to sync them, with shared inputs taking priority from BR.
Twitch Drops
Twitch Drops[]
Celebrate the free-to-play launch with Twitch Drops available from April 16 at 9 AM ET to April 20 at 11:59 PM ET. Watch a Save the World stream in the Fortnite category to unlock:
- Save the World Mood Emoticon (watch for 30 minutes cumulative)
- Storm Chasers Spray (watch for 1 hour cumulative)
- Legendary Urban Assault Headhunter Hero (watch for 4 hours cumulative)
Visit https://www.fortnite.com/twitch-drops for more info.
Bug Fixes
Bug Fixes[]
- The Exit tab in the Social sidebar no longer refers to all Missions as “Storm Shield”.
- [Controller] Mission votes now confirm by pressing the button instead of holding, and the vote menu opens directly when active.
- [PS5] Fixed an issue where players couldn’t rejoin a Mission after disconnecting.
- Fixed an issue where Mission Alerts could grant rewards that did not match the intended reward pool.
- The Blue Skies Quest now correctly shows the required zone difficulty.
- [Keyboard] Pressing “C” can now also be used to advance the Mission Rewards! screen.
- The Shop and V-Bucks tabs have been re-enabled in the Save the World Lobby.
- Changing your Hero loadout while using the Default Hero Appearance no longer causes visual glitches.
- [PS4] Fixed flickering lighting when previewing Heroes and items on the Upgrade and Inspect screens.
- Ability and Gadget keybinds now display correctly in the Quick Bar.
- You can now select the zone as expected by double-clicking the world map pins.
- Storm effects no longer disappear from Mission tiles after moving around the world map.
- The player character no longer uses an incorrect arm-sweep animation when interacting with world objects.
- [Survive the Horde] Vegetation no longer floats in some spots after nearby structures are destroyed.
Save the World Goes Free-to-Play April 16, 2026
Update v40.20
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| April 16th 2026 |
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| Update v40.10 | Update v40.30 |
Save the World Goes Free-to-Play April 16, 2026[]
Save the World will be free to play next month. Whether you’ve been playing Save the World from the beginning or have never played, team up to earn in-game rewards by pre-registering for the free-to-play launch:
Snowstrike Hero, the final pre-registration reward, has these Perks:
- Standard Perk: North Star
- Throwing Stars will slow enemies for 4 seconds instead of dealing damage. Slowed-down enemies will explode for 167 base water damage if they receive melee damage or damage from another North Star explosion.
- Commander Perk: North Star+
- Throwing Stars will freeze enemies for 4 seconds instead of dealing damage. Frozen enemies will explode for 167 base water damage if they receive melee damage or damage from another North Star explosion.
Current players can still play in the meantime, and as a thank you for the last nine years of holding back the horde, will receive the following on April 16:
- 1x Hero Supercharger – Promote a Hero beyond Level 50.
- 1x Weapon Supercharger – Promote a weapon beyond Level 50.
- 1x Trap Supercharger – Promote a Trap beyond Level 50.
- 5x Survivor Supercharger – Promote Survivors beyond Level 50.
- 1x Hero Recruitment Voucher – Recruit a Hero of your choice.
- 1x Weapon Research Voucher – Unlock a weapon of your choice.
- 10000 Gold – Spend in the Event Store (to be renamed “the Exchange”) for valuable items.
Founders will continue earning V-Bucks through Daily Quests, Mission Alerts, Storm Shield Defense Missions, and existing Challenges. If you’re new to Save the World, get up to speed with the help of STW veteran Beast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z01DWKx9s3Y
v40.20 Update Notes - Save the World Free to Play & Showdown Act II
Update v40.20
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| April 16th 2026 |
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| Update v40.10 | Update v40.30 |
v40.20 Update Notes - Save the World Free to Play & Showdown Act II[]
See Also: CommunitiesThe battle between Team Foundation and Team Ice King is heating up as Act II of the season-long Showdown kicks off! And starting today, Fortnite Save the World is officially free-to-play for everyone, including Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time ever.
Save the World & Battle Royale Crossover Event
Save the World & Battle Royale Crossover Event[]
Complete crossover Quests starting April 16 in Save the World and Battle Royale to earn exclusive rewards in both modes.
In Battle Royale, you will find Save the World characters Jess and Penny on the Island as quest givers. Completing two of Jess' quests lets you buy the Super Shredder sniper directly from her in-match, and finishing the full crossover questline unlocks the Super Shredder Schematic in Save the World.
While playing Save the World, you can unlock the Jess Outfit for your Locker by earning 350,000 XP during the event. There’s also a new Save the World Dark Voyager questline to complete where you can score People XP, Schematic XP, and an Upgrade Llama while investigating the Dark Voyager’s arrival.
Showdown Act II: The Elites
Showdown Act II: The Elites[]
In Act II, Elite Jules and Jess from Save the World have joined Team Foundation as powerful reinforcements. Defeat rivals as a community to unlock the following in this Act through Showdown Progression:
- Hammer Revolver
- Super Shredder
- STW Base Expansion
- IO Recon Scanner
- Cube Rifle
- Reforged Infinity Blade
- Seven Base Mega Vortex Beacon
- Ice Biome Slipstreams
Also, keep an eye out for the Exotic Pool refresh with the Eradicator O.X.R. Rifle, Eradicator Marksman Wrecker Revolver, and Shadow Tracker coming to rivalry vending machines.
Music Player in Lobby
Music Player in Lobby[]
You'll now have full control over your vibe with play, pause, and volume controls all in one convenient spot. And if you like to keep things fresh with multiple lobby music tracks equipped, you'll also get next and previous track buttons so you can skip through your playlist without missing a beat.
General Fixes & Improvements
General Fixes & Improvements[]
This update comes with a large number of bug fixes across all of Fortnite. Here are a few notable ones we’ve seen reported in community spaces:
Gameplay
- Chaos Reloader Shotgun now reloads correctly while unequipped, displays reload progress in the Quick Bar, and fires consistently.
- Thorne's Vampiric Blade no longer causes the jump input to become unresponsive after using its secondary attack.
- Port-a-Bunkers and Shield Bubbles are now available in Ranked Zero Build as intended.
- Your arrow will no longer incorrectly appear below teammates' arrows on the minimap.
- Returning to Fortnite after Alt-Tabbing or pressing the Windows key no longer incorrectly opens your inventory when in a match.
Cosmetics & Visuals
- Fixed an issue causing some Outfits and cosmetics to appear shinier or darker than intended on higher quality settings.
- Fixed visual and animation physics issues affecting certain Outfits on Performance Mode or lower-end devices.
- The Saitama Outfit's cape now loads its textures correctly.
- The Bugs Bunny Outfit's eyes no longer appear broken when previewing Pickaxes and Back Blings in the Locker.
- Darkfire Bundle Weapon Wraps now display their correct individual glow colors instead of all appearing purple.
- Fixed an issue where some players' profiles could incorrectly display the default Outfit.
- Cosmetic previews now display cleanly without a persisting loading spinner in the Shop and Locker.
Battle Pass & Quests
- Fixed an issue where the Battle Pass could show an incorrect unlock notification when previewing a different reward set.
- Daily Quests now display the correct refresh time and no longer reset earlier than stated.
Fortnite OG
- Item icons no longer appear stretched on Vending Machines.
- Players can now manage their Quick Bar inventory without issues after using a Pirate Cannon.
- The Reboot Van at Paradise Palms is no longer missing.
- Daily Quests no longer reference locations that have been removed from the current map rotation.
Other Modes & Platforms
- [Reload] Ranked matches no longer display the "Placeholder Playlist" text on the Starter Island.
- [LEGO Fortnite] Fixed an issue where the World Restore option would give an error when attempting to restore to a previous checkpoint.
- [Mobile] Fixed visual issues affecting gameplay for some players on Google Pixel 10 devices.
- [Mobile] The Emote Wheel is no longer too small and difficult to read on certain devices.
- For Save the World fixes and improvements, check out this post.
Laufey’s Distinct Sound Headlines Fortnite Festival Season 14
Update v40.20
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| Update v39.50 | Update v40.30 |
Laufey’s Distinct Sound Headlines Fortnite Festival Season 14[]
Just in time for music festival season, Laufey brings her modern take on jazz to Fortnite Festival Season 14. Starting April 16, there’s new ways to perform, inspired by her incredible vocal abilities and captivating performance style.
With Mic Vocals, sing along in real time with any microphone that works in Fortnite on PC and Console, and with Pro Drums, plug in a Rock Band 4 or compatible MIDI drum kit to make the drum highway feel even more real.
Want to break away from the mic stand? You can now walk around and shift positions freely in the Jam Ring while you play. The new Quick Mix UI helps you quickly swap or shuffle tracks while jamming for immediate mashups.
The Season 14 Emberlight Music Pass, included for all Fortnite Crew members, grants immediate access to the White Dress Laufey Outfit. Progressing through the pass unlocks Laufey-themed instruments, Auras, and the "Madwoman" Jam Track. The final tier of the pass features the Golden Era Laufey Outfit.
The Item Shop will also feature the Lover Girl Laufey Outfit, Mei Mei the Bunny Back Bling, and Jam Tracks and Emotes for "Lover Girl" and "Tough Luck".
LEGO® Fortnite Odyssey NINJAGO: Embers of Chaos
Update v40.20
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| Update v40.10 | Update v40.30 |
LEGO® Fortnite Odyssey NINJAGO: Embers of Chaos[]
📣 Announcements:
📣 Announcements:[]
- Strange activity is spreading across NINJAGO Island as Chaos Portals from the Land of Monsters begin opening up more frequently, unleashing danger and disorder across the lands, along with new enemy threats, the Oni Masters, Fire Betrayers, and the Ice Dragon.
- All is not lost, however, as Kai, the Elemental Master of FIRE, manages to escape the Land of Monsters with the help of a new ally, a fire dragon by the name of Asher. Train with Asher, and master the art of FIRE Spinjitzu, the Fireball and Dragon Summon abilities, along with the new Scythe weapon.
- New LEGO Pass: Soaring Skies has arrived! Jump in and start unlocking all new rewards, including the new RadRat Outfit and the Luft-Llama Longboat, alongside two other AirShips: Dragoncraft Cruiser and Dreadnought Dirigible.
- The action heats up on April 30 when new enemies emerge, including the Shatter Spawn. Stay tuned!
➕ Additions:
➕ Additions:[]
- The FIRE Mastery Tree has new Mastery quests that you can unlock now.
- A brand-new weapon joins the fight: the Scythe. Choose your loadout wisely and carve through enemies in style.
- The element of FIRE has ignited the game, bringing two powerful new abilities: Fireball and Dragon Summon.
- Take down enemies and complete quests to earn rewards, including the Oni Stronghold Citadel, Oni Stronghold Watchtower, Oni Stronghold Gate and Oni Tyrant's Estate.
- Airship decor can now bend and snap to curved or angled surfaces, so you're no longer limited to placing them only on flat walls and floors.
- Keep in mind, this currently only works with Airship Decor and isn't available for all Decor items.
- 2 new NPCs: Kai and Asher
- Also, Lloyd and Cole are not coming empty-handed. You'll want to be ready when they arrive, as they have prepared gifts as well.
- You can now enable Sprint Swimming in your settings for faster movement through water.
- NPC Followers now receive stronger stat boosts based on the tier of weapon you give them.
- The Totem of Return is now available in higher tiers.
- Red Gliders now descend slower than Yellow Gliders, giving you more hang time.
- Villages will now only sparkle when you've met both the Awesome Points and upgraded material requirements.
- Hero weapon unlocks have moved to the Mastery Tree, and the Spire Boss has been put to sleep across all worlds.
🛞 Physics Adjustments:
- New toys have arrived in the LEGO Pass! You'll find Hot Air Balloons and Cannons that behave similarly to their Raid Zeppelin counterparts as well as two new varieties of Boom Barrel.
- We've also introduced the Jumbo Thruster, a new thruster type that's even more powerful than the large thruster.
- We've overhauled the build menu tab that houses thrusters, wheels, and other toys. This section is now called "Contraptions" and should make building with toys feel more intuitive. As part of this change, Vehicle Parts have moved out of Contraptions and into "Building Parts," right alongside all the other building parts.
- Thrusters, simple balloons, cannons, pressure plates, trigger plates, and switches can now be assigned to channels 5 and 6, as well as directional channels, giving you much more flexibility when wiring up your builds.
- Thrusters now behave differently based on how they're activated. From the driver's seat, thrusters fire only while the input is held. When activated by trigger plates, or switches, thrusters will still fire for a set duration. We've also updated thruster channel bindings on guided builds for easier control.
- We've made improvements to wheel physics for better stability, particularly during turns. As always, we're keeping a close eye on your feedback and will continue fine-tuning in future updates.
⚒️ Bug fixes:
⚒️ Bug fixes:[]
- Resolved an issue where players couldn’t trade with Captain Flintlocke for Flintlocke’s Bait Buckets.
- Fixed an issue with blurry map icons.
- Resolved an issue with the Expert quests not being available in Expert worlds.
- Fixed an issue with Spinjitzu inconsistencies.
- Resolved an issue where the players on consoles couldn’t rename the stations.
- Fixed an issue where the players couldn’t open a chest near the Monastery’s Ninja Workbench.
- Resolved an issue where players would get stuck while crafting on a crafting bench.
- Fixed an issue where the world restore option would give an error when trying to restore a world.
- Updated various items that were missing tier indicators in the Codex.
- Fixed an issue that made assigning map marker colors and icons difficult on the controller.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented the use of the D-pad to navigate the inventory menu.
- Fixed multiple issues relating to animations and VFX.
🐞 Known Issues Being Fixed in a Future Game Update:
🐞 Known Issues Being Fixed in a Future Game Update:[]
- Raid Zeppelin guided builds placed before this update may have their Move Forward and Turn Right controls swapped. To temporarily work around fix this, use your wrench to reassign the controls or build a new Raid Zeppelin.
Section
Update v40.20
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| April 16th 2026 |
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| Update v39.50 | Update v40.30 |
A new Reload map is here: Elite Stronghold, the personal fortress of the Elites, a cross-reality organization of only the smartest and most skilled warriors. Earn your spot on their battlefield with POIs that include the Elite Armory, Chiseled Cubes, and Hostile Hold.
|center]] Master new weapons and a fresh loot pool:
- Cube Rifle: Fire a rail beam or secondary fire a detonatable cube.
- Cube Splitter (coming later in v40.30): A fast-firing SMG that attaches exploding cubes to opponents.
- Unvaults: like the Gatekeeper Shotgun, Holo-Twister Assault Rifle and Seven Power Gloves.
All Reload Ranks have been reset. Climb the ranks to unlock new rewards this Season:
- Gold: Tough Triggerfish Spray
- Platinum: Banner Icon
- Diamond: Triggerfish Alert Emoticon
- Elite: Reloaded Seven Axe Pickaxe
- Champion: Daigo's Tech Wrap
- Unreal: Charged Pickaxe
Win a Victory Royale in Ranked or Unranked Reload to earn the 'New Seven ‘Brella Reloaded'.
New Map Mastery Quests are also available in Elite Stronghold. Completing them unlocks:
- Jules the Fixer & Determined Daigo Sprays
- Stay Elite & Gud Emoticons
- Elites Issue Wrap
- Re-Loading Emote
Arenas v40.20 Gameplay Updates
Update v40.20
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| April 16th 2026 |
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| Update v40.30 |
Arenas v40.20 Gameplay Updates[]
Adjustments to Arenas Live Now
Adjustments to Arenas Live Now[]
- Score Limit reduced to 12 Round Wins from 15 in Solos and Duos.
- Shortened the match-up timer to 3 seconds from 5 seconds while waiting in the Stadium Grounds.
- The Rank Up screen appears sooner at the end of a match.
- On the Leaderboard, Damage Taken has been added to the Leaderboard. This should also be reflected on the *Podium leaderboard at the end of a match.
- Damage Taken stat is the first stat used to determine a tiebreaker if Rounds Wins are equal between players.
✅ Bug Fixes Live Now
✅ Bug Fixes Live Now[]
- Fixed an issue where your Arenas Rank did not accurately display in the lobby.
- Fixed an issue where using a controller would open the Leaderboard based on your controller binds.
- Fixed an issue where weapon slot preferences would not respect player preferences in settings.
- Renamed the 'Ready Up' button to 'Play Again' to match BR, Reload and OG.
- Renamed the 'Continue' button to 'Return to Lobby' to match BR, Reload and OG.