Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3: Live event, countdown, and leaks

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 is nearing its end. With Season 3 expected to launch May 24, teasers, rumors, and leaks have surfaced. Apart from the obvious Fortnite roadmap leak, some mini-events have occurred on the current map in the lead-up to Chapter 5 Season 3. Today, we’ll explain the leaks, mini-events, and more for the new season. 

Epic Games dropped the Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 key art ahead of the new season, and players were delighted to see Magneto. The all-to-powerful mutant from the X-Men universe makes his debut, presumably as part of the Season 3 Battle Pass.

Epic Games dropped a juicy Fallout teaser ahead of the new season, depicting the Brotherhood of Steel and some new items. You can clearly make out the new Fallout skins, potentially a Nuka-Cola healing item and a Harpoon Gun.

Weapon modifications for vehicles may happen in Chapter 5 Season 3, based on the quote tweet from Epic Games Vice President and Co-Founder Mark Rein. As HYPEX pointed out, this possibility surfaced several years ago, and Season 3 could mark its debut.

Epic Games has confirmed that servers will go offline on Friday, May 24, at 2 a.m. ET. During this period, the developers will prepare and launch Chapter 5 Season 3.

Fortnite's official social media accounts have begun releasing videos in the build-up to Chapter 5 Season 3. The one above depicts the sandstorm many expected with the upcoming "apocalypse" season. You can also spot some of the new vehicles in the Mad Max-themed season.

Many leakers have posted a shark boat that will arrive in the new Fortnite season. It will presumably be a new point of interest (POI) and fits right into the apocalypse theme.

A teaser from May 20, 2024 gave fans a look at one of the various Battle Pass characters alongside a new potential POI named Nitro Dome.

In a collaboration no one expected, Fortnite and Monster Jam have partnered to bring monster trucks presumably to Chapter 5 Season 3. Footage from a recent live Monster Jam featured a life-size Battle Bus that was eventually demolished by a monster truck.

After the literal dust settled following the last mini-event, Epic Games showed their hand. In an X post on May 17, the official Fortnite account confirmed a Fallout x Fortnite collaboration. Although nothing is concrete, many expect to see skins and potentially a Fallout point of interest (POI) in Chapter 5 Season 3.

More developments regarding Season 3 filtered in throughout the day. Content creators such as Squattingdog, Swearin, and others received gifts from Epic Games. These gifts contained hints regarding various new vehicles that will debut in Season 3. One such vehicle is described as "nitro-fueled."

The third phase in the build-up to Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 arrived on May 16. It depicted yet another lightning strike onto Pandora's Box. This occurrence caused players in the lobby to float into the sky and witness the strike skip out to the water in the distance and begin what many believe is a sandstorm.

This ensuing sandstorm produced a small light that could be seen within the darkness. It reportedly read "No hope" in Morse code.

The second mini-event leading up to Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 saw another lighting bolt strike Pandora's Box as the orb in the center continued to fill up.

Unlike the Pandora's Box event from Season 2, these in-game mini-events appear to be happening without warning. The video above shows precisely what unfolded during the first phase of this event. It depicts the statue raising its sword to the sky and striking a lightning bolt into Pandora's Box.

Following the lightning strike, iFireMonkey shared a clip of Pandora's Box slowly filling up, but it's unclear what will happen next.

Many leakers have posted about the mini-events happening on the current Fortnite map. These occur at the Mount Olympus point of interest (POI), where players can direct their attention to the massive statue.

As you can see in the video above, the statue's eyes lit up, accompanied by dark clouds, thunder, and lightning. Leakers have also indicated that a sandstorm will occur on the map before Chapter 5 Season 2 concludes. 

The mini-events indicate that Chapter 5 Season 3 will feature a “Post-Apocalyptic,” based on the roadmap leak. It's unclear how often these in-game events will happen, but they should occur more frequently as the days progress. Now that we’ve covered the mini-events, let’s cover some leaks. 

Reliable Fortnite leaker HYPEX detailed what fans can expect when Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 launches on May 24. The Post-Apocalyptic theory stems from the roadmap leak, which is currently just a theory. 

Beyond the theme of the season, here’s a list of what may unfold in Season 3 based on HYPEX's intel:

Only ten days remain until Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 concludes, giving you an idea of what to expect. We’ll be sure to update this article with additional information as the weeks progress!

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite and esports news!