Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch day: our live coverage now that Fortnite is down

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is imminent, set to arrive following a period of scheduled downtime that kicked off on May 2, 2025, at 2am ET / / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST. Currently, Fortnite is down, but that'll change sooner rather than later.

It'll be a Star Wars-focused affair called Galactic Battle, bringing a whole new Battle Pass to work through, and new map locations to visit. In the build-up to launch, I'll be covering things live, providing up-to-date details on the ongoing scheduled downtime, the highlights set to arrive next season, and my initial impressions of things once it's all gone live.

Epic Games has been busy teasing the next season of Fortnite over the last week or so, and we now know that it's entirely centered around Star Wars. So far, there's been a full cinematic trailer showing off some of the upcoming Battle Pass skins, a look at how the map is set to change as part of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, as well as the announcement of an in-game event that'll air shortly after the new season launches.

If early signs are anything to go on, the upcoming Star Wars updates to Fortnite could be a real high point for Chapter 6 so far. Hopefully, we'll get to fly some X-Wings, battle Samurai variants of iconic Star Wars villains, and even get to see Darth Jar-Jar in action.

Personally, I've found this Chapter a little bit lacking, so I'm excited to see how Epic Games delivers on the most involved Star Wars season yet. I'll be dropping in later today, checking out the new Battle Pass skins and testing the new blaster-packed weapon loot pool, seeing if the changes are good enough to keep Fortnite in TechRadar's best free games list.

Join me as I keep you up to date with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, including live coverage of the scheduled downtime, and my live impressions once I drop into my first few matches. As new info on the latest season drops, this page will be updated. Here's what you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, now that we're in downtime.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 - cut to the chase

Only have time for the basics? Here are the most important things to know about Fortnite Galactic Battle:

• Start time: May 2 at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am GMT
• New skins: Darth Sidious, Rebel Evie, Poe Dameron, General Grievous, Wookiee Team Leader
• New map locations: Vader Samurai's Solitude, Resistance Base, Outpost Enclave, First Order Base
• Events: Tales of the Underworld episode screening, Live event finale

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 start time

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will start later today (May 2), following the downtime that started at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST. This means it's really only mere hours away.

Once we know more about how long downtime is set to last, we'll be able to make a prediction as to when the new season is going live. For now, assume downtime to be at least two or three hours, as has been the case for the last couple of seasons.

Is Fortnite down?

Fortnite is currently down. This started at 2AM ET / 7AM BST / 11PM PT. We're still expecting things to be offline for a couple of hours, so stay tuned.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 map changes

As you can see from the image above, there are four new major POIs (points of interest) set to be added alongside the new Fortnite Season. The first is Outpost Enclave, which is a rebel base looking similar in structure to Tatooine.

Then there's the First Order Base, which is set to be populated by Stormtroopers. Then, there's Vader Samurai's Solitude, which contains a Vader mini-boss. Finally, the Resistance Base is set amongst the forest, and features the Millennium Falcon.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass skins

There are four main skins on offer as part of the Fortnite Galactic Battle Pass. These include a new Emperor skin, Poe Dameron, a Rebel-variant of Evie, and a Wookiee Team Leader outfit.

It's likely that we'll see alternate colors for these skins, included in the Battle Pass. The bonus skin is General Grievous, who arrives later in May.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 schedule

Epic Games has revealed that Fortnite Galactic Battle will receive weekly updates that add new weapons, and other content into the game. Here's the full schedule:

• Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
• Tales of the Underworld (watch first two episodes in Fortnite) - May 2, 2025
• The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
• Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
• Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
• Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025

Fortnite Galactic Battle trailer

The full cinematic trailer for Fortnite Galactic Battle has now arrived. In it, we see Fish Stick in yet another life-threatening predicament, Luke Skywalker leading a squadron of X-Wings, and a group of Mandalorians using jetpacks to land amongst an ongoing blaster battle.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 loot pool

There's red and blue lightsabers to earn in Fortnite Galactic Battle, as well as an entirely blaster-based weapon pool. Here's what's available:

• Reliable DL-44 Blaster Pistol
• Heavy CR-2 Blaster (an SMG!)
• Close-range ACP Scatter Blaster and BARM-ST12 Scatter Blaster
• Close-to-medium range DLT-19 Blaster Rifle
• Long-range IQA-11 Marksman Blaster Rifle
• All-purpose A280-CFE Blaster Rifle
• (unvaulted) Highly accurate DC-15 Heavy Blaster Rifle
• (unvaulted) Empire standard Issue E-11 Blaster
• (unvaulted) First Order standard issue F-11 Blaster
• Lightsaber
• Thermal Imploder (Grenade)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 live coverage

And we're live!

Hello and welcome to my live coverage of the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch. We’re now on the eve of release day, and there’s still plenty we don’t know about the imminent Star Wars-centric season. First off, let’s cover what we do know.

When does the current season end?

The current season of Fortnite is set to end tomorrow (May 2) at 2AM ET / 7AM BST, and 11 PM for PT (May 1). At this point, the game will move offline for scheduled downtime. At present, there’s no info on how long downtime will be, but it's worth noting that last season's switch over took five hours. Hopefully it'll be a little shorter this time.

So, Fortnite Galactic Battle?

Fortnite Galactic Battle is the next season of Fortnite, and it's entirely themed around Star Wars. From the looks of things, this will be a shorter season, with weekly narrative updates that culminate in a live finale.

The new Battle Pass skins have been shown off

So far, Epic Games has shown off five confirmed Battle Pass skins for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3. Poe Dameron, Wookie Team Leader, Resistance Evie, Emperor Palpatine, and General Grievous will all be up for grabs. As in previous seasons, I'm betting on there being variants for each too, perhaps a Clone Wars-style for Grievous? One can hope.

Grab a free Star Wars skin before the new Season begins

You can now connect your Epic and MyDisney accounts to earn a First Order Stormtrooper outfit to use in Fortnite. Follow these steps to do so:

• Sign into your Epic account. (You can do this from epicgames.com/id/login.)
• On your Account page, go to Apps and Accounts. (If you’re already signed in, go straight to Apps and Accounts!)
• Click “Connect” on the MyDisney Account option. You’ll be directed to the MyDisney website to continue the process. Not able to connect? Find more information on eligibility.
• Runs until August 31, 2025

That's no moon

If you drop into Fortnite now, as I just did, you'll spot a new addition to the skyline. The Death Star can be seen in the distance, signaling the arrival of the Empire and First Order.

Mace Windu finally joins Fortnite

Despite Fortnite having featured Mace's lightsaber before as a mythic weapon, the character has never actually been added as a skin. He'll be available in the store at some point during Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, hopefully alongside his purple lightsaber as a harvesting tool (we'll see).

What about Darth Jar-Jar?

Finally, Darth Jar Jar is officially canon, well... in terms of Fortnite canon, I suppose. He's seemingly not included in the Battle Pass, so I'm betting he'll be the bonus skin for this season. We'll have to wait and see.

There's still time

With less than a day left of Fortnite Lawless, you might want to make the most of the remaining hours and collect any Battle Pass skins you've yet to redeem. Tier 100 features Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, though honestly, I'm happy with having just earned Big Dill.

Grab The Vaultbrella

Speaking of making the most of Season 2 while it's still live, you can still pick up The Vaultbrella by getting a Victory Royale. Easier said than done, but worth giving a go while you wait for the Star Wars events to kick off.

Catch the first two episodes of Tales of the Underworld early

Be among the first to view the first two episodes of the new Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld animated series, exclusive to the Star Wars Watch Party island in Fortnite for the first 48 hours before it hits Disney+! The island goes live on May 2 at 10AM ET / 3PM BST / 7AM PT.

There's set to be five weekly updates to enjoy

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will run through until early June, making it a condensed season when compared to the last two. Each week, there's going to be an update that'll kick off new narrative elements, and shift the focus of the season. Here's the update schedule:

• Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
• The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
• Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
• Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
• Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025

Signing off for a short break

I'll be taking a short break now, but I'll be back at 12PM ET / 5PM BST / 9AM PT to resume my live coverage of Fortnite Galactic Battle. There's still plenty to dive into, including the new map changes which tease the return of Vader Samurai.

Back like a Bantha

I'm back to resume duties on the Fortnite Galactic Battle live blog, and there's been a few reveals while I've been away. Let's dive back in with another look at General Grievous.

Let's take a look at the new map

Epic Games has already unveiled the new Fortnite map for Chapter 6 Season 3. Looks like there's four main changes, with Vader Samurai's Solitude, Resistance Base, Enclave Outpost, and First Order Base being the new main locations. That means it's time to say goodbye to Whiffy Wharf, Demon's Dojo, Shogun's Solitude, and Hopeful Heights.

All non-lightsaber weapons will be blasters

Thanks to a blog post recently posted on the main Fortnite site, we now know that all non-lightsaber weapons will be blasters. This likely means no ammo to pick up, though we'll have to wait and see. here's the full weapons list:

• Reliable DL-44 Blaster Pistol
• Heavy CR-2 Blaster (an SMG!)
• Close-range ACP Scatter Blaster and BARM-ST12 Scatter Blaster
• Close-to-medium range DLT-19 Blaster Rifle
• Long-range IQA-11 Marksman Blaster Rifle
• All-purpose A280-CFE Blaster Rifle
• (unvaulted) Highly accurate DC-15 Heavy Blaster Rifle
• (unvaulted) Empire standard Issue E-11 Blaster
• (unvaulted) First Order standard issue F-11 Blaster

Defeat Captain Phasma to earn a Mythic weapon

If you can infiltrate the First Order Base and defeat Captain Phasma in battle, you’ll be rewarded with the Mythic Captain Phasma’s F-11D Blaster and Phasma’s Blaster Medallion. The Medallion extends how long it takes a blaster weapon to overheat, and reduces its cooldown. With everyone else running standard blasters, this could really give you an edge worth seeking out.

Grab a bite at eAT-eAT

A couple of crashed AT-ATs will be repurposed into a food court as part of the new update. eAT-eAT could be a low-key drop spot, one that I'm betting will be filled with healing items at the start of every match.

Hunker down in the dunes

The new Enclave Outpost location is a very Mos Eisley-esque area, with an X-Wing that you can pilot, and a sandcrawler to explore. Be sure to check the underground hangars for more weapons that you can use to take down the First Order.

Infiltrate the First Order Base

The First Order Base is one of the largest POIs (points of interest) on the map, with a reboot van, and two main sections. You'll find Captain Phasma here, who drops a Mythic weapon and Medallion when beaten. You can sneak in by tracking down the utility shaft.

The return of Vader Samurai

Darth Vader Samurai debuted during Chapter 6 Season 1, and it's confirmed that he'll be back soon. A new POI called Vader Samurai's Solitude will pop up in the southwestern corner of the new map, where Shogun's Solitude previously was. It'll feature Vader Samurai as a mini-boss, similarly to how the Shogun works on the current map. Defeat his guards to call him out for battle.

Take to the skies

The Fortnite Galactic Battle announcement post mentions pilotable TIE Fighters and X-Wings, which should make for some epic dogfights. Even better, there's co-pilot seats for your squadmates, where they'll be able to control turrets to deal extra damage.

Unlimited Power

Force Lightning will arrive in Fortnite tomorrow, and you'll need to head through a portal and speak to the Emperor to get it. Force powers have been a mainstay for Star Wars-related Fortnite events for a while now, with everything from Force Push to Force Throw, which let you chuck big rocks at enemies for huge damage. Hopefully, Force Lightning will be worth seeking out. I'd love there to be a chain lightning effect to deal damage to multiple opponents at once.

STAR DESTROYER BOMBARDMENT

On May 29, players will be able to locate a single portal that'll appear once per match. Go through it and you'll be in the Control Room of a Star Destroyer, allowing you to turn the turbolasers on and unleash destruction from above.

Bye bye for now

I'm heading off for the night! I'll be back online at 3AM ET / 8AM BST / 12AM PT to resume my live coverage of Fortnite Galactic Battle's launch. The game will be in scheduled downtime at that point. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long to drop into the new season.

Kicking things back off now Fortnite is offline for maintenance

Hello once again, and happy new Fortnite season launch day. We're now just hours away from Galactic Battle, with the game currently in downtime. No word on how long this will last, but fear not, I'll be keeping this live blog up to date, letting you know exactly when things go back online.

Is Fortnite down?

Yes, Fortnite is currently down. I just logged in, and was met with a "Servers not responding" error message. Don't worry, this is all to be expected, given Fortnite went into scheduled maintenance at 2AM ET / 7AM BST / 11PM PT.

New Sith skin

The main Fortnite Twitter account just posted a short video showing a new Sith skin set to come to the game. Could this be a variant of the Rebel Evie outfit already announced? We'll have to wait and see.

A full slate of new Force abilities

There's a handful of Force powers that'll be available once the new Fortnite season goes live. First up is Force Push, which will be rewarded from training with hologram Rey. Then there's Force Lightning, which will be taught by the Emperor. Force Saber Throw is dropped by Vader Samurai, who's a new mini-boss found at Vader Samurai's Solitude. On May 8, Mace Windu will arrive, and that's where you'll learn Force Pull. Finally, Darth Maul will teach the devastating Force Throw ability.

Resistance Base X-Wings

We've now gotten a look at the new Resistance Base POI. It's set amongst the trees, and features an underground hangar filled with loot. There's X-Wings here too, which can be flown, of course.

Gameplay trailer shows off dogfights and lightning powers

The Fortnite Galactic Battle gameplay trailer just dropped, showing off the X-Wing and TIE Fighter battles that'll fill the skies over the new map. There's also a short clip featuring a Sith character performing dodges while holding a lightsaber, before unleashing Force Lightning.