Fortnite has turned into way more than a game ever since its launch; it’s basically a whole platform now. What started in 2017 as a quirky Battle Royale with a simple map and a handful of weapons has transformed into a real cultural phenomenon. It’s massive and always changing. Over the years, players have lived through insane crossovers, map changes, fun and crazy mechanics, and more new modes than anyone thought Epic would ever add.

When fans talk about all Fortnite seasons, it can feel overwhelming because the history is huge. There are mini seasons, nostalgia modes, brand-new mechanics that get removed the next month, and different timelines across Chapters.

Each one brought something unique – sometimes amazing, sometimes a little frustrating. And yet, the cycle of anticipation and hype never slows down. This guide should bring you up to speed on the full timeline of Fortnite and how the game has reinvented itself multiple times.

What Are Fortnite Seasons?

Like other live-service games, each season lasts a couple of months, with a brand-new Battle Pass, map tweaks, loot pool changes, and events.

Seasons are what make the game unpredictable. You never know if you’ll log in to find superheroes dominating POIs or medieval castles replacing neon cities. Every season feels like an event. Each season also ties into Fortnite esports, which are competitive metas that can swing wildly based on a single loot change.

The battle pass also refreshes every season, and pulls you through weeklies and side quests, while mid-season updates change things up with a weapon or a POI adjustment, and those steady updates are the glue holding all Fortnite seasons together.

How Long Is a Fortnite Season Typically?

Here’s where Fortnite gets unpredictable. An average season lasts about 80–90 days, but there have been quite a few exceptions. Chapter 2 Season 1 stretched to 128 days, the longest by far. The shortest was Fortnite OG in 2023, lasting just 29 days.

If you line up all Fortnite seasons, you’ll see how inconsistent the lengths really are. Chapter 2 had long stretches, Chapter 3 averaged about 90 days, and Chapter 5 held steady at around 83 days. Now in Chapter 6, with mini-seasons in the mix, things could be even shorter or longer depending on how Epic wants to pace the hype cycle.

Seasons, Chapters, and Modes Keep Reinventing the Game

Fortnite pretty much keeps reinventing itself, instead of just releasing updates. Over the years, we’ve seen weapons, vehicles, and mechanics come and go, with some lasting a single season or even a single chapter, while others defined whole eras. Epic isn’t afraid to throw wild experiments at players, even if it means scrapping them later. Looking back across all Fortnite chapters, the game’s identity has shifted constantly, but its DNA remains the same, and that’s why it’s still thriving all these years later.

Recently, Epic’s gone ahead with mini-seasons like OG and Remix, which are short nostalgia bursts that revisit old content but in updated ways. In late 2024, the Remix mode brought back Chapter 2 mechanics with new collabs, while OG became a permanent playlist for players who wanted that stripped-down original feel. That’s why players can have very different memories and experiences across Fortnite every season.

Epic has trended toward shorter, more regular chapter cycles since Chapter 3, typically refreshing the map and major systems every year or less.

Full Fortnite Timeline: All Seasons in Order of Release

No.	Season name	Start date	End date	Length (days)
1	Chapter 1 Season 1	Oct 26, 2017	Dec 13, 2017	49
2	Chapter 1 Season 2	Dec 14, 2017	Feb 21, 2018	70
3	Chapter 1 Season 3	Feb 22, 2018	Apr 30, 2018	68
4	Chapter 1 Season 4	May 1, 2018	Jul 11, 2018	72
5	Chapter 1 Season 5	Jul 12, 2018	Sep 26, 2018	77
6	Chapter 1 Season 6	Sep 27, 2018	Dec 5, 2018	70
7	Chapter 1 Season 7	Dec 6, 2018	Feb 27, 2019	84
8	Chapter 1 Season 8	Feb 28, 2019	May 8, 2019	70
9	Chapter 1 Season 9	May 9, 2019	Jul 31, 2019	84
10	Chapter 1 Season X	Aug 1, 2019	Oct 13, 2019	74
11	Chapter 2 – Season 1	Oct 15, 2019	Feb 19, 2020	128
12	Chapter 2 – Season 2	Feb 20, 2020	Jun 16, 2020	118
13	Chapter 2 – Season 3	Jun 17, 2020	Aug 26, 2020	71
14	Chapter 2 – Season 4	Aug 27, 2020	Dec 1, 2020	97
15	Chapter 2 – Season 5	Dec 2, 2020	Mar 15, 2021	104
16	Chapter 2 – Season 6	Mar 16, 2021	Jun 7, 2021	84
17	Chapter 2 – Season 7	Jun 8, 2021	Sep 12, 2021	97
18	Chapter 2 – Season 8	Sep 13, 2021	Dec 4, 2021	83
19	Chapter 3 – Season 1	Dec 5, 2021	Mar 19, 2022	105
20	Chapter 3 – Season 2	Mar 20, 2022	Jun 4, 2022	77
21	Chapter 3 – Season 3	Jun 5, 2022	Sep 17, 2022	105
22	Chapter 3 – Season 4	Sep 18, 2022	Dec 3, 2022	77
23	Chapter 4 – Season 1	Dec 4, 2022	Mar 9, 2023	96
24	Chapter 4 – Season 2	Mar 10, 2023	Jun 8, 2023	91
25	Chapter 4 – Season 3	Jun 9, 2023	Aug 24, 2023	77
26	Chapter 4 – Season 4	Aug 25, 2023	Nov 2, 2023	70
27	Chapter 4 – Season OG	Nov 3, 2023	Dec 2, 2023	30
28	Chapter 5 – Season 1	Dec 3, 2023	Mar 8, 2024	97
29	Chapter 5 – Season 2	Mar 9, 2024	May 24, 2024	77
30	Chapter 5 – Season 3	May 24, 2024	Aug 15, 2024	84
31	Chapter 5 – Season 4	Aug 16, 2024	Nov 2, 2024	79
32	Chapter 5 – Season Remix	Nov 2, 2024	Nov 30, 2024	29
33	Chapter 6 – Season 1	Dec 1, 2024	Feb 21, 2025	83
34	Chapter 6 – Season 2	Feb 21, 2025	May 2, 2025	71
35	Chapter 6 – Mini Season	May 2, 2025	Jun 7, 2025	37
36	Chapter 6 – Season 3	Jun 7, 2025	Aug 7, 2025	62
37	Chapter 6 – Season 4	Aug 7, 2025	Nov 1, 2025	87

Chapter 1: Where It All Began

When Fortnite Battle Royale launched in September 2017, nobody expected it to blow up like it did. The first few seasons were simple compared to today’s chaos, but they built the foundation that turned Fortnite into the giant it is now.

• Season 1 (Oct–Dec 2017): No real theme yet, just a basic Battle Pass with cosmetic rewards. Players were still learning how the game worked.
• Season 2 (Dec 2017–Feb 2018): Medieval theme, first proper Battle Pass, and the rise of cosmetic hunting.
• Season 3 (Feb–Apr 2018): Space theme. Players started taking Fortnite more seriously, and big events were teased.
• Season 4 (May–Jul 2018): Superhero theme, the first cinematic storytelling season with the meteor crash and the introduction of big lore events.
• Season 5 (Jul–Sep 2018): Time and worlds colliding. The “Rift” mechanic changed the map with desert biomes and new POIs.

By Chapter 1 Season 5, Fortnite had already become a big thing. Streamers like Ninja were pulling millions of viewers, and crossovers with Marvel started sneaking in. These early seasons were clunky but magical, and set the stage for everything to come.

Chapter 2: Bigger Maps, Bigger Events

Chapter 2 started in October 2019 with a brand-new map, fishing, swimming, and boats. It felt like a “soft reboot,” giving players a fresh playground after two years of updates to the original island.

• Season 1 was the longest ever, running 128 days. It gave players time to explore the new island, but also frustrated many who thought updates were too slow.
• Season 2 (Feb–Jun 2020): “Top Secret” spy theme. Henchmen, keycards, and bosses with Mythic weapons became the new standard.
• Season 3 (Jun–Aug 2020): The map flooded, introducing Aquaman and water gameplay.
• Season 4 (Aug–Dec 2020): A full Marvel takeover with Thor, Iron Man, and Galactus in one of the most iconic Fortnite events ever.
• Season 5 (Dec 2020–Mar 2021): Hunters from different realities. Crossovers exploded, like with The Mandalorian, Kratos, Master Chief, and more.

This chapter cemented Fortnite’s crossover identity. No other game could casually throw Marvel, Star Wars, and Halo together on the same map; it was really something else for fans. That’s why so many players still revisit this part of Fortnite season history as a turning point.

Chapter 3: Short but Packed

Chapter 3 flipped the map (literally) and ran from December 2021 to December 2022. It was shorter than expected but packed with new ideas.

• Season 1: Sliding and Spider-Man’s web-shooters changed movement forever.
• Season 2: “Resistance.” This is where Zero Build was introduced, turning Fortnite into two games at once: one with building and one without.
• Season 3: “Vibin’.” Relaxed summer vibes with new biomes and the Reality Tree.
• Season 4: “Paradise.” Chrome spread across the map, leading to one of the trippiest events where the whole island fractured.

Zero Build was the real game-changer here. Many thought it would flop, but it became one of Fortnite’s most popular modes and is still a core part of the game today. This was also the shortest of every Fortnite chapter, but one of the most influential.

Chapter 4: Both Medieval and Modern

Chapter 4 launched in December 2022 with Unreal Engine 5 upgrades, making Fortnite look better than ever. The island was medieval but with futuristic touches.

• Season 1: Castles, dirt bikes, and soaring across the map with Shockwave Hammers.
• Season 2: Mega City, a neon Japanese cyberpunk hub that became an instant fan favorite.
• Season 3: Jungle ruins and raptors you could ride.
• Season 4: “Last Resort,” a heist theme where players cracked open vaults and faced off against bosses in a crime drama-style season.

This chapter showed how Epic could balance different vibes: medieval castles one season, neon Tokyo the next, then Indiana Jones-style jungle temples. This is the fun chaos and variety within all Fortnite chapters.

Chapter 5: Some Big Changes

Before Chapter 6’s mobility and collabs, Chapter 5 was one of the boldest shifts ever. Epic rebuilt animations from the ground up, even changing how running and aiming felt. Movement was controversial for a bit since walking animations felt clunky until Epic patched them, but the Chapter still stands as a massive turning point.

Chapter 5 Season 1 gave us a brand-new map, weapons with mods, and unique POIs that pushed the game into a hybrid between arcade and tactical shooter. Later seasons doubled down on variety:

• Season 2 expanded across Battle Royale and Lego.
• Season 3 leaned into car combat, turning matches even more chaotic.
• Season 4 added Marvel characters that shook competitive balance.

And then came Fortnite Remix, the nostalgia-driven mode that revisited Chapter 2 with a modern twist. Pumps, Rocket Launchers, and old loot returned, but the map was plastered with rapper collabs and neon branding. This is the fun chaos within all Fortnite seasons.

The Current Chapter: Fortnite Chapter 6

We’re in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 right now, and it’s already proving to be one of the most experimental yet. Chapter 6 kicked off with a Japanese-themed map filled with shrines, sakura trees, and neon cities.

That first season leaned heavily into parkour and slick mobility, adding wall-kicks, scrambling, and rolls that made traversal feel smoother and faster.

Then came Season 2, which was a gritty heist season. Epic built a crime-ridden theme with vaults, tokens, and new objectives that went beyond the usual gameplay loop. Breaking into vaults became a multi-step mission that encouraged third-party fights. It made the mid-game chaos unpredictable, which players either loved or hated.

Then Epic went rogue (in a good way) with a mini-season named Galactic Battle, from May 2 to June 7, 2025, which had lightsabers, Force powers, and a Death Star event.

Season 3, called Super, followed on June 7, 2025, and wrapped on August 7, 2025, with a hero theme and a Battle Pass anchored by Superman.

Now we’re in Chapter 6 Season 4, Shock ‘N Awesome, which kicked off August 7, 2025, and rolled out O.X.R. military tech against a gross, gloopy bug invasion.

From Parkour to OG Mode: Fortnite’s Big Changes in Chapter 6

One thing Chapter 6 has done especially well is movement. Epic introduced wall-kicks, rolling, and vertical climbing, leaning into a full parkour vibe. It gave the Battle Royale a faster and flashier identity. But Fortnite being Fortnite, not everything stuck. Players complained about accidental wall-kicks, so Epic removed that mechanic after only a single season.

At the same time, nostalgia still runs strong. Epic doubled down on the success of OG mode, which started as a temporary return to Chapter 1 but has since become a permanent playlist. Now, fans can bounce between modern Fortnite and a simpler, stripped-down version year-round. This mix of brand-new systems and old-school throwbacks is a great way to satisfy all fans, especially given how big the playerbase is right now. And when you look at Fortnite every season, this pattern of innovation and nostalgia shows up regularly.

New Games Within Fortnite

What really sets Fortnite apart from other live service games right now is how it’s not just a Battle Royale anymore. Fortnite is a whole platform with multiple genres living under one launcher, which helps keep the game alive. Alongside Battle Royale, Epic has added:

• Lego Fortnite: A survival-building mode that feels like a mash-up of Minecraft and adventure RPGs.
• Fortnite Festival: A music rhythm game where players perform songs and even jam with friends.
• Rocket Racing: A full arcade racer built into Fortnite.
• Fall Guys Creative: Added in 2024 as a collection of goofy maps.

Some of these even have their own season counts, creating a split timeline. That’s why all Fortnite seasons today feel more varied than ever since players aren’t just keeping track of Battle Royale but also modes that live side-by-side.

Season Themes

Themes are what tie seasons together, and Epic rarely repeats itself. Chapter 2 Season 6 was Primal, with crafting and makeshift weapons. Chapter 3 Season 4 leaned into chrome and sci-fi. Chapter 5, Season 2, brought a mythological vibe.

And recently, Chapter 6 Season 2 turned Fortnite into a crime drama with vaults and heists. Each one carries a handful of signature items you immediately associate with specific Fortnite chapters.

Mini seasons have their own themes, too, like OG nostalgia or the current Star Wars takeover. Out of all Fortnite seasons, the themed Battle Passes and events keep players invested, even if the gameplay shifts aren’t always beloved.

Map Changes

One of the most important things each season brings is map updates. Epic knows players need variety when dropping into the same island every day. That’s why every Fortnite chapter has launched with a brand-new map, usually tied to a theme.

Chapter 1’s grassy fields gave way to Chapter 2’s fresh island. Chapter 3 flipped the map entirely. Chapter 4 went more medieval, while Chapter 5 leaned into modern cities and vehicles.

Even smaller tweaks like adding Ballers, Choppas, or boats shaped the way matches played. Vehicles evolved over time, from shopping carts to tanks, showing Fortnite’s balance between silliness and intensity. And now in Chapter 6, the Japanese-inspired mountains and Star Wars POIs (thanks to the Disney deal) show just how far the art style and design have come.

How Fortnite Has Evolved Through Seasons and Chapters

When you step back and look at the bigger picture, Fortnite feels like a constantly changing platform. Each new season adds mechanics, items, and collabs, only for the next one to sometimes throw them out completely. Crafting in Chapter 2, Season 6, was gone in a single update. Car combat dominated Chapter 5 Season 3, but vanished right after. And then, Zero Build, which was a feature no one expected, stuck around and became a whole other way to play.

This pattern is what defines every Fortnite chapter. Some are short experiments, while others redefine the game permanently. It makes Fortnite feel alive, even if it frustrates players who fall in love with mechanics that vanish.

FAQs

How many seasons are in Fortnite?

As of August 2025, Fortnite has gone through 37 main seasons spread across multiple chapters. If you also count the shorter “mini” seasons like Chapter 4: OG and Chapter 6: Mini Season, then the number climbs a little higher.

How long is a Fortnite season?

On average, a Fortnite season lasts between 10 and 12 weeks. Sometimes Epic stretches one out to three or even four months, especially in earlier days when delays happened. More recently, they’ve experimented with shorter seasons like the 30-day OG season in 2023.

What is the current season of Fortnite?

Right now, in August 2025, Fortnite is in Chapter 6 – Season 4, which began on August 7, 2025, and is set to end on November 1, 2025.

When did Fortnite Chapter 1 start and end?

Chapter 1 started on October 26, 2017, with the game’s first-ever season. It ended on October 13, 2019, after Season X (Season 10) and the famous Black Hole event that shut down the game for two days.

What was the longest Fortnite season?

The longest season in Fortnite history was Chapter 2 – Season 1, which ran for 128 days from October 2019 to February 2020. It felt especially long because it was the first time Epic had rebooted the map, and updates slowed while they adjusted to the new chapter.

What was the shortest Fortnite season?

The shortest was Chapter 4 – Season OG in November 2023, which lasted just 30 days. It was a special nostalgia event that brought back the original Chapter 1 map and items.

When did each Fortnite chapter release?

• Chapter 1: October 2017 – October 2019
• Chapter 2: October 2019 – December 2021
• Chapter 3: December 2021 – December 2022
• Chapter 4: December 2022 – December 2023
• Chapter 5: December 2023 – November 2024
• Chapter 6: December 2024 – ongoing (currently Season 4 as of August 2025)

How are Fortnite chapters different from seasons?

Think of seasons as normal updates with new battle passes, mechanics, and storylines. Chapters are the big resets, and they usually bring a brand-new map, engine changes, or massive overhauls. Chapters contain multiple seasons, so every chapter feels like a fresh start, while the seasons inside it keep things fresh and moving.