What’s New in Fortnite Season 8? Everything You Need to Know

Just like winter has come and gone, so has Fortnite’s Season 7. That, however, is no reason to be alarmed as this only means that a new season kicks off with more stuff to do and things to unlock. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s new in Fortnite Season 8.

What’s New in Fortnite Season 8

Map Changes

Fortnite Season 8 is now live and, just like previous seasons, it brings about a handful of map changes. If Season 7 saw an iceberg colliding with the map, Season 8 kicks off with a volcanic eruption that’s equally dramatic.

As expected from any respectable volcanic eruption, Fortnite Season 8 adds lava to its map. Step in it and you’ll receive 1 damage per touch, as well as bounce off its surface. Volcanic Vents have also appeared, their gusts of hot air ready to boost both players and vehicles into the sky.

There are also two new locations to explore, loot and fight in. Look for Sunny Steps and Lazy Lagoon on the map.

Finally, you’ll also find Pirate Camps littered around the map that have taken over existing buildings. They’re large wooden structures in which you’ll find campfires, as well as the new Pirate Cannons.

What’s New in Fortnite Season 8

Party Assist

If you’ve been feeling lonely completing Fortnite’s many Daily and Weekly challenges, Season 8 makes that easier by introducing the Party Assist feature. What this option essentially lets you do is get every member of your party to help with certain challenges.

Prior to joining a match, the Party Assist option can be enabled on a Daily or Weekly challenge, which will lead to everyone in your party also contributing progress towards its completion.

It’s worth keeping in mind that the option is available only for invited party members, excluding players added by the Fill function, or those in larger team modes.

What’s New in Fortnite Season 8

Pirate Cannon

The Pirate Cannon is a new addition to the arsenal that players can use in Fortnite Season 8. Found throughout the map, just like any other weapon, it provides a rather explosive long range solution to problems.

Although you can’t quite put it in your pocket, it can be pushed into position, to face whatever needs blowing up. The cool thing about it is that, while it can fire the traditional cannonballs, players can also jump in and use themselves as a projectile. Travel long distances and blow things up when you arrive? Hard to pass on such an opportunity.

Whether it’s a cannonball or player, the projectile from the new Fortnite Season 8 Pirate Cannon plows through a number of objects before exploding, dealing 100 damage on direct impact and 50 damage in a small radius around it.

What’s New in Fortnite Season 8

New Skins & Cosmetics

The start of a new Fortnite Season also means that a new Battle Pass is introduced. This lets players work towards unlocking plenty of new skins and cosmetic items to show off in battle. Season 8 goes for a pirate theme.

With 100 tiers to go through, the Season 8 Battle Pass brings new wraps, introduced back in Season 7, pets, emotes and more.

The skin offering might veer a little more towards sinister than last season’s, but there are also outfits that ready your characters and pets for adventure, including a cute aviator fox and a banana.

What’s New in Fortnite Season 8

General Bug Fixes & UI Improvements

Bug fixes and UI improvements are ongoing efforts with any game and Fortnite is no exception. Season 8’s fixes aren’t particularly major, but they’re very much welcome.

Players should no longer be able to aim down sights while jumping. Aim assist now works through windows and players should have an easier time collecting items dropped near Zipline poles.

Auto-reloading no longer cancels emotes, while dropping a stack of items or using the last item of a stack of consumables or explosives no longer swaps equipped traps.

On the UI improvements front, patch notes are now accessible from the news screen, while squadmate names and indicators have received a set of visual improvements, just like World Markers.

Placing them near players now makes them visible. Double clicking the World Marker hotkey, or placing one while aiming a weapon will place the danger version of the marker.

2D UI indicators make World Markers easier to spot through objects, while placing one on an item will display both its icon and rarity.

That’s everything you need to know about what’s new in Fortnite Season 8. For more guides, tips and tricks on the pirate-themed season for Epic Games’ popular battle royale title, pay our Fortnite Season 8 Guide Wiki a visit.