Every Fortnite Chapter Ranked
Epic Games has slid through five chapters of Fortnite, while a sixth iteration of the battle royale is just around the corner. Every chapter offers a new map, unique cosmetics, and wacky crossovers to keep players engaged.
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Although many regard the early chapters of Fortnite as the best in history, more recent seasons also contain fantastic features and content. We're covering the chapters that got it right, and the ones that fans don't want to see again. Here are the strongest chapters in Fortnite, and why they'll be remembered by players forever.
1. Chapter 1
Chapter 1 started it all, but it's not just great because of blind nostalgia. Throughout the course of the first chapter, Fortnite provided players with innovation after innovation. During this time, fans saw the birth of in-game celebrity concerts via Marshmallow and The Block, a point of interest that swaps out a new player-created location every single week.
The vehicles and items in Chapter 1 are also a sight to behold. You could hop into a Shopping Cart, Plane, or Baller to wreck the competition with speed and style. Classic points of interest provided loot-filled locations that are still beloved to this day, like Tilted Towers.
The cosmetics in Chapter 1 are its weak point, as some seasons didn't even offer a full Battle Pass. Still, the skins themselves have remained relevant and received new variants throughout the years. Nobody will ever forget the time a Peely killed them while riding a Hoverboard, then used the original Take The L dance to rub salt in the wound. Overall, Chapter 1 may not have worked out all the kinks in Fortnite, but it brought us unforgettable matches with zany fun before the battle royale became obsessed with third-party collaborations.
2. Chapter 2
Although Chapter 2 isn't quite as old as the first, it was still the start of Fortnite for millions of players. Chapter 2 showed us that Fortnite could evolve past the original map and take flight in different ways. By adding new locations to explore and many highly-requested mechanics, such as swimming, Epic Games created alternative ways to achieve a Victory Royale.
Helicopters were quickly accepted as one of the best vehicles introduced in Fortnite, due to their speed and easy control scheme. Getting max shields in 100 different ways at Slurpy Swamp was a fun way to maximize health at the beginning of a Chapter 2 match, and Bandage Bazookas were perfect if you wanted to act as the squad medic.
Fortnite has recently released a Chapter 2 reboot. Revisiting the map, weapons, and popular skins from the second chapter offers an action-packed blast from the past, and the fun is still around until December. Chapter 2 was easily the second best time to play Fortnite due to the introduction of many items that balanced the meta; plus everyone loves Meowscles!
3. Chapter 4
Chapter 4 felt a lot like Chapter 1, but key differences separate it from previous updates. The innovations in Season 1 included a new way to climb and a long-awaited dirt bike vehicle, nicknamed the Trail Thrasher. On these bikes, you could perform groovy tricks to impress your friends. Shooting down an enemy tower while zipping around on a Trail Thrasher was an exhilarating experience never to be forgotten.
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Surprising crossovers popped up all throughout Chapter 4, including with The Witcher and Attack on Titan - two franchises that fans never expected to drop off the Battle Bus. There are a lot of great collaborations to look back on from Chapter 4, but the new items and locations take a backseat to Chapter 1 and 2. As such, Chapter 4 is the perfect middle-ground between the renowned Chapter 1 and less popular versions of Fortnite.
4. Chapter 3
Chapter 3 had some memorable seasons, but the first few months are where it really shined. Season 1 included Spider Man as the final reward in its Battle Pass, while in-game you could collect thrilling gloves that allow you to swing like the superhero himself.
Spider-Man's Web Shooters allow you to grip onto a surface, then pull yourself in the target location. Surprisingly well-made, it was an absolute joy to swing from tree to tree on Chapter 3's expansive map. Season 2 also featured a Marvel crossover in the form of Doctor Strange, so it felt like the fun would never stop. Chapter 3 gave Fortnite fans the Zero-Build game mode, which brought many new combatants into the third-person shooter.
Hopefully we'll receive a Chapter 3 Remix event in the future, but if Epic Games decides never to rift the third chapter back into Fortnite, then at least we'll have memories of putting an end to Spider Man's web-swing of terror at The Daily Bugle. The introduction of the Victory Crown is another of Chapter 3's shining achievements, as it was a fantastic way to reward the competitive player-base. Unfortunately, the third chapter just isn't as memorable as Chapter 4 since it didn't introduce many innovative features or powerful weapons compared to previous seasons, but at least Spider-Man saved the day with web-slinging fun!
5. Chapter 5
As the most recent entry, Chapter 5 is still very fresh. However, the newest chapter didn't innovate in the same way as previous iterations, and crossovers aren't as exciting as they used to be. Chapter 5 Season 1 added a train to Fortnite's map, and players had a lot of fun battling opponents while riding the tracks.
In recent months, an explosive Doctor Doom crossover brought Black Panther, Iron Man, and War Machine weapons to Fortnite, allowing you to swiftly transform into your favorite hero, but they also introduced balance issues in Battle Royale mode. Fortnitemares 2024 was a blast, featuring collabs with chilling horror movies like Saw and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Chapter 5 didn't wow players, but Chapter 6 could still become one of the best periods in Fortnite history. We're glad to be leaving the fifth chapter behind, but we'll never forget defeating an entire squad solo while wielding a Chainsaw.
Michael Caruso is a journalist of five years who works to share his passion for gaming with the world. Throughout his career, Michael has written for various video game and news publications, focusing his writing on entertainment and the well-being of the environment. When Michael isn't writing, he can be found playing his guitar or immersed in a virtual world.