When will Fortnite be back up? Are servers down, why are they not responding, UK status - new Season 3 skins

Chapter 5 Season 2 of Epic Games’ continuously popular Battle Royale game Fortnite concludes today (24 May).

But far from marking the end of in-game festivities, it simply ushers in a new era of Fortnite content, and the launch of a new season is just hours away.

Fortnite is ushering in its 30th season with its latest update, so expect a smorgasbord of content over the coming weeks and months, including fresh themes and features.

Other franchises and staples of popular culture have already made appearances in Fortnite in the past, a trend that shows no sign of letting up.

We already know players can look forward to collaborations with Fallout, and recent leaks suggest heavy metal veterans Metallica will also be making their way to the game. There’ll also be a crossover with Mad Max.

Those tie-ins with Fallout and Mad Max are what lend the latest season of Fortnite its ‘Wrecked’ subtitle, suggesting a post-apocalyptic spin on the usually colourful shooter. Here is everything you need to know about it.

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What’s new in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3?

Official patch notes detailing what’s included with the new update will be released later today once everything is back online.

But it’s already known that much of this early part of the chapter will be dedicated to the game’s collaboration with Fallout, another popular gaming series that’s in the midst of a popularity spike following Amazon Prime’s smash-hit adaptation.

The official Season 3 trailer has confirmed much of the new content coming to the game. There’ll be several new skins, including MegaLo Don, Ringmaster Scarr, Peabody, The Machinist, Rust, T-60 Power Armour, Brite Raider, and Wastelander Magneto.

New weapons include the Enhanced Hand Cannon, The Machinist's Combat Assault Rifle, Ringmaster's Boom Bolt, MegaLo Don's Combat Shotgun, the regular Combat Shotgun, MegaLo Don's Nitro Fists, and the regular Nitro Fists.

The trailer also highlights new vehicular combat and items like Nuka-Cola, which replenishes health and shield over time, and Nitro Splash for both players and vehicles.

There’s also going to be another ongoing collaboration with the Mad Max series of films, coinciding with the release of Mad Max: Furiosa, and leaks from sources like Hypex and Shiina suggest that new season will also feature the “War Bus”, described as an armoured battle bus capable of firing an EMP burst to disable other vehicles.

And, of course, there will also be additional content for LEGO Fortnite, Fortnite Festival and Rocket Racing.

How will the map change?

As always with a major new Fortnite update, we can also expect some significant changes to the Fortnite map.

A major live event has been ongoing in Fortnite in recent days, with a growing sandstorm approaching the island and some storm clouds turning red, indicating an imminent transformation of the map for Chapter 5 Season 3.

The upcoming season is expected to retain many of the existing points of interest on the map, but the introduction of the Mad Max/Fallout crossover could potentially bring with it a new desert wasteland biome, new vehicles and post-apocalyptic skins.

The Season 3 trailer has shown that new Points of interest in the new season include Nitrodome, Redline Rig, Sandy Steppers, and Brutal Beachhead, while players will also be able to explore new and returning locations such as Rebel's Roost, Lavish Lair, Classy Courts, Grand Glacier, Restored Reels, Reckless Railways, Grim Gate, The Underworld, Mount Olympus, and Brawler's Battleground.

When will Fortnite servers be back online?

Fortnite servers go down around the time of new seasons and game updates, to allow the developers to integrate the changes into the game smoothly, optimise server performance, fix bugs, and ensure that the new content does not cause instability or crashes.

True to Epic Games’ announcement, the server downtime for Chapter 5 Season 3 began at 7am BST, with matchmaking disabled 30 minutes prior.

Although typical updates take about four hours, new season launches can extend beyond this time frame. Previous downtimes, like the 14-hour wait for Chapter 5 Season 2, have shown that delays are indeed possible, though it is hoped that the latest update will go off without a hitch.

Barring any technical issues, the current downtime is expected to last until around 12pm BST. Like with any new season, the upcoming Fortnite update will have a larger file size than usual, potentially requiring you to clear some space on your hard drive.