Why was Fortnite down? What to know about Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked

Laura Daniella Sepulveda, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

Fortnite servers were offline for a few hours Friday morning as the game was updated to its new Chapter 5, Season 3 version.

The newest Fortnite game version, Wrecked, comes as exciting news to many gamers who have been eagerly expecting the update since Chapter 5, Season 2: Myths and Mortals came out in early March and also caused servers to go down while the update was made.

Here's what we know about Fortnight Chapter 5, Season 3, including what new weapons are in Wrecked. For more video game news, check out this roundup of the biggest video game releases coming in summer 2024.

When will Fortnite be back up?

According to Epic Games, Fortnite was expected to return online at 8 a.m. Eastern time (5 a.m. in Arizona). Epic Games reports that all Fortnite servers are back up.

According to Downdetector, a website that tracks internet outages based on user submissions, reports of service connection loss peaked at about 11 p.m. Thursday and increased again around 4 a.m. on Friday Arizona time.

Is Fortnight Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked out?

Yes. The game was updated overnight and came out on Friday, May 24, 2024.

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What's new in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3?

The latest season gives "serious apocalypse vibes," according to Esports.gg, and brings with it the return of modable vehicles along with new weapons, new locations and new Medallions.

Men's Journal says Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 introduces the Wrecked Battle Pass, focused on the Wasteland Warriors. New locations include a biome called the Wasteland, "after a big sandstorm rolled through and transformed the area into a Mad Max-inspired sandscape."

What new weapons are in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3?

Here are the new weapons available in Fortnite Chapter 5, Season 3: Wrecked.

  • Nitro Fists: Nitro fists can perform a punch combo, an uppercut or an aerial punch that dashes you through the air. Nitro Fists have four charges, each one recharging every eight seconds.

  • Boom Bolt: This new weapon is fast-firing modable crossbow that shoots explosive bolts.

  • Ringmaster’s Boom Bolt: You can obtain this mythic weapon by defeating Ringmaster Scarr at the Nitrodrome.

  • The Machinist’s Combat Assault Rifle: You can obtain this Mythic weapon by defeating The Machinist anywhere.

  • Megalo Don’s Nitro Fists: Obtain the mythic weapon by defeating Megalo Don.

These old weapons are also available at the start of Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked:

  • Cerberus' Gatekeeper Shotgun

  • Combat Shotgun

  • Gatekeeper Shotgun

  • Hammer Pump Shotgun

  • Oscar's Frenzy Auto Shotgun

  • Warforged Assault Rifle

  • Tactical Assault Rifle

  • Enforcer AR

  • Harbinger SMG

  • Thunder Burst SMG

  • Huntress DMR

  • Ranger Pistol

  • Hand Cannon

  • Shockwave Grenade

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3: Wrecked skins

According to GameSpot and Forbes, new skins including collaborations with other video games are now out with the new Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3. Here's a roundup:

  • Fallout crossover: The post-apocalyptic video game franchise landed in Fortnite this season with a multi-style T-60 Power Armor skin that users can unlock while playing the game.

  • The Machinist: This skin is a brunette girl with a big wrench in black clothing and multiple red accessories.

  • Rust: It's a guy with a buzz cut, a leather-like jacket, a silver chain and a Metallica T-shirt. The band was expected to make an appearance later this season in Festival mode.

  • Peabody: This skin is more goofy — it's a literal peapod with multiple pea faces. In his second style, his shell becomes a hoodie.

  • X-Men's Magneto: Another Marvel crossover is now available with the battle pass, but it's expected to come out later this season. Magneto, one of the most infamous villains in all of Marvel's illustrious catalog, will be part of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3's skins.

Laura Daniella Sepulveda is a trending reporter for the Arizona Republic. Reach her on Twitter at @lauradaniella_s or by email at laura.sepulveda@gannett.com.

Record Courier reporter Chad Murphy contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3: New skins and why the servers went down