Fortnite Battle Royale news and updates: Season 6 gets spooky

What's new in Fortnite? Over a year after the game first launched, Season 6 goes down the festive route for the Halloween season, with promise of 'frights and delights' including spooky werewolf skins, levitating cubes, shadowy magic items – and even some cute pets to offset the terrors befalling you.

Fortnite Battle Royale has become certified gaming phenomenon. Pitting 100 players against each other on a single map, it melds fun, cartoonish gameplay with a fierce competitive streak, and has attracted millions of players across the globe across all ages and demographics.

When starting up, you're thrown onto an island with no weapons or armor and you must scavenge for supplies and fight for your life to be the last man or squad standing at the end of the game – with the added pressure of a shrinking map that closes in as the match progresses, forcing players into tighter skirmishes.

• How to download and play Fortnite on mobile

The game is available for free on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and iOS, with in-game purchases limited to purely cosmetic options. But with Epic Games actively updating the game throughout the year, we're keeping track of all the most important patches and changes to come to the game: read on for all the details.

What's the latest new Fortnite update? Season 6 brings the spooky

Fortnite have kicked off Season 6 with a host of new map changes and skins to celebrate the Halloween season.

The in-game map now features a haunted castle, corn fields, and various areas 'corrupted' by the forces of darkness – while the infamous purple cube that spent so much of Season 5 rolling around the map is now levitating Loot Lake's island and causing fissures in the ground. Why not?

New skins will let players dress up as a werewolf, a sheriff, and even a llama DJ (don't ask why) – while a new consumable 'Shadow Stone' will let you turn invisible and pass through solid objects for up to 45 seconds after eating. Not to mention the inclusion of pets, letting players carry around a dog, dragon or chameleon as they rain vengeance on their enemies.

Recent updates have also brought in a new dance-themed LTM 'Disco Domination', which requires players to emote their way to victory on a throwback disco dancefloor. 

Or if you're more into destruction than dabbing, a new 'quadcrasher' vehicle will let you drive right through buildings and structures and brings the walls down around you.

Season 5 was a hard act to follow with its High Stakes heist mode, dynamically shifting storm, 'Rift-to-go' teleporting items, and new ability to use emoticons when knocked down. But Fortnite never fails to outdo itself. 

You can pore through the smaller bullet points and stat changes at Epic’s full patch notes here.

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What's coming up in Fortnite?

Fortnite is a game that undergoes frequent updates. Week-by-week you can expect to see patches which either squash bugs or make small changes to gameplay that improve the overall game experience.

Season 6 launches with plenty of unanswered questions, and we expect to see a lot more of the floating island in the weeks to come – and Loot Lake, which has replaced the water with a lightly bouncing surface and no doubt has more tricks down the line. Possibly something volcanic?

One thing certainly on the cards is more Limited Time Modes (LTM) like The Getaway or Steady Storm, which offer a new twist on the classic Battle Royale experience and pulls back in players wanting to see what's new after each update. Halloween weekend at the end of October will almost certainly bring some spooky LTM experiences for players.

Epic has also announced a new in-game tournament mode for players minded towards more professionally competitive play. The competitions will run for several days and track the number of points players accrue in the dedicated mode, rewarding the top performers with commemorative 'pins' and the chance to take part in tougher matches – or maybe even take their first steps towards cash-prize matches?

We're expecting continued support for the popular Playground Mode too, which lets up to four players hone their skills together in a less pressured environment. It relaunched in July with an aim assist feature for new players, increased ammo and supply drops, and the ability to swap teams in game for fluid play.

Can I play Fortnite on mobile?

Yes you can! Well, maybe. After months of waiting, Fortnite is finally on both iOS and Android, though you'll need a phone that can actually run the game.

iOS users can download straight from the App Store. As long as you're using iOS 11 on iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro devices or later you'll be fine. Oh, and you'll need an internet connection, naturally.

Fortnite also hit Android phones this summer, and finally came out of beta in October. You can see the full list of phones – and how to find the Fortnite Installer – on our Fortnite on Android page.

Is it the full game?

It is the full Fortnite game. There are some small differences: it’s not quite as visually impressive as it is on more powerful devices, the controls are touchscreen, and a lot of audio cues have been made visual so you can play comfortably in public without the need for headphones. But you won’t be missing out on any key features.  

What's the deal with cross-play?

A sweet deal is what it is. While previously Xbox One and PS4 owners couldn't play the game together, Sony's U-turn on the matter means that now everyone across Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android can all take part in the crossfire.

So if you've got friends that prefer PC, others that prefer console and you're off on holiday with your mobile, that's no reason for the fun to stop.

There's also cross-progression. So, if you're logged into your Fortnite account on mobile and you later log into your console to play there, everything you did on mobile later that day is carried over.  

Sounds great, how do I get it?

We have a guide on how to get Fortnite on mobile on TechRadar and we're constantly updating it with the latest rollout news. If your device isn't there yet, keep checking back and one day it probably will be.

What's a Battle Pass?

The Battle Pass is a purchasable item in Fortnite that gives you access to exclusive in-game rewards. 

As players complete daily challenges and level up their rank, they earn Battle Stars which can then be used to unlock Tiers in their Battle Pass. Each new Tier you unlock will bring both Free and Premium rewards. The Tiers vary from season to season but in season three you get around 100 items in each Battle Pass which can take anywhere between 75 and 150 hours of play to unlock. 

Everyone that has a Battle Pass will get the Free reward they unlock, but only Premium Pass holders will get the Premium reward. Battle Pass Premium can only be purchased with in-game V bucks and not with real money.

You can purchase a Battle Pass for around £7/$10 in the Battle Pass tab of the game’s menu. 

Twitch Prime benefits

Those who use Twitch Prime and play Fortnite will be glad to know that they have access to free loot right now. Those with a Prime account can claim the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack  and the Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack 2 which include a host of cosmetic items and are available across all platforms.

The first pack includes two exclusive gliders and outfits: the Havoc Outfit and Back Bling, plus the Sub Commander Outfit and Slipstream Glider.  The second pack contains three exclusive items for Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode including the camouflage-heavy Trailblazer Outfit, the True North Back Bling, and the Tenderizer Pickaxe. There’s also a brand new dance emote for those that like the dance floor as much as the battleground. 

The packs can only be claimed on a single platform, but they can be shared across PC/console and mobile as long as you use the same Epic account across these platforms. You can’t however, share your loot across PS4 and Xbox One even if you are using the same Epic account. 

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