Fortnite Season 9 has arrived and with comes the big revamps we’ve come to expect with every new season. This season’s theme is ‘neo’, which translates into a ‘sci-fi’ futuristic paint being spread over three key locations of the map, capturing that ‘neo Tokyo’ feel. As the introduction trailer illustrates, a ‘time-lapse’ has occurred, in which two Fortnite characters take shelter in a bunker to escape the volcanic eruption and are later discovered by ‘futuristic’ inhabitants of a new and improved Tilted Towers.
Like Season 8, Epic is trying to provide more unique and interesting ways of navigating the map (especially due to the controversy that the X-4 Stormwing caused). With the addition of Air Vents and Slipstreams. Finally, a completely unique addition to the game are ‘Fortbytes’, which act like an obscured set of ‘side challenges’ in the form of collectibles.
Fortnite Season 9 Map Changes
Neo Tilted
The most notable change is that of Tilted Towers being completely redesigned and rebranded as ‘Neo Tilted’.
As mentioned, the whole city has been redesigned — this isn’t the same Tilted Towers you’ve been used to for the last year. The same general layout still persists, with buildings being in roughly the same spaces they were before, maintaining their average size relative to one another. For example, the large ‘Big Ben’ clock tower has been replaced by a lookout tower of similar height and shape. In this way Neo Tilted keeps the same silhouette, but has been vastly updated to capture that futuristic Tokyo aesthetic, especially when combined with the Sentinel and Rox skins.
Some remnants of the old Tilted Towers remain.
The structure in the above building is actually the base of the old ‘Big Ben’ clocktower, which has been relocated to Junk Junction.
Finally, the area around Loot Lake got a complete revamp to match the new style of Neo Tilted, as well as what looks like a giant pipe that runs from the nexus gate to Neo Tilted.
Mega Mall
Mega Mall is Retail Row’s replacement and as the name suggests is just a very large mall complex. Just like Tilted Towers upgraded into a ‘modern’ city, Retail Row has evolved from a strip mall into a large shopping mall.
The Mega Mall captures the same sci-fi aesthetic as Neo Tilted, just a little less egregiously, looking closer to the realm of a modern mega mall than Neo Tilted does a modern city. The western part of Mega Mall is still the same old Retail Row it used to be, houses and all, but just slightly modernised.
As you can see above, the broken house has also been renovated.
Pressure Plant
Pressure Plant is the aftermath and result of the Season 8 volcano erupting, in which it appears to have completely obliterated itself in the process. In the time that has passed between Season 8 and Season 9, a geothermal power plant has been erected over the top of the exposed magma chamber. This actually subtly fits with the theming of Utopia (season name), ‘sci-fi’ futures, climate change and renewable energy.
Fortnite Season 9 Map Additions
Sky Platforms
Another interesting addition to Season 9 are ‘Sky Platforms’. Sky Platforms are large hovering platforms suspended by Slipstream ‘motors’ that contain a fair bit of loot. You can use the Slipstream generators to traverse up and down the platforms and there are seven of them in total. The first week contains a challenge to visit each one and it is very likely they will be involved in Season 9 challenges to come.
Windmills
Large turbine windmills have been erected around the map. They are fairly innocuous and provide no real gameplay additions, however, they fit with the renewable energy theme the season is subtly pushing for.
Advertising Blimps
Advertising blimps can now be found floating around the upper altitude of the maps. They perform no real function other than atmosphere building however and you can’t land on them, they’re not solid.
John Wick’s House
Another small map addition is that of John Wick’s house, which is a fairly accurate rendition all things considered.
Slipstreams
Slipstreams are Season 9’s biggest gameplay related change. Ever since the addition of the X-4 Stormwing in Season 7, Epic has been struggling to address the impact it had on the overall pacing a mobility of Fortnite as a whole. In short, Slipstreams are large rings elevated by a pole that once entered will let you ‘fly’ along a directed wind current.
You can influence your direction and speed with your movement keys/control stick so using them to fly around will take a little bit of practise. You can exit the wind current by moving perpendicular to it which will launch you out and let you glide a bit before deploying your glider. Finally, you can bring a vehicle into them, which when combined with the hoverboard, lets you wrack up some insane scoring tricks.
Air Vents
Air Vents are simply the city version of ‘volcano’ vents. Instead of deploying your glider however, they just make you immune to fall damage. You’ll find these hanging out mostly on building rooftops as a method for reaching said rooftops in the newer updated ‘neo’ areas.
Other Fortnite Season 9 Changes
Fortbytes
Fortbytes are an entirely unique addition to the game that has no direct parallel in Fortnite. It’s a large scale collectible and reoccurring challenge hybrid that updates once every 24 hours. The idea is that collecting and completing these challenges will help uncover the ‘secrets’ of Season 9 and potential rewards.
Miscellaneous
– The biggest addition that is covered by the patch notes (and not covered here), is a new semi-automatic ‘Combat Shotgun’, which is a fast firing, high capacity, highly accurate shotgun.
– Epic has also vaulted: Clingers, Buried Treasure Map, Pump Shotgun, Poison Dart Trap, Scoped Revolver, Suppressed Assault Rifle, Thermal Assault Rifle, and Balloons.
That about sums up every change we could find going into Season 9. There is almost assuredly some small things that have been glossed over, but so far it’s shaping up to be a very promising season. Doubly so due to the fact Epic has introduced some new flair (mostly in the form of Fortbytes) into the game, rather than sticking to the same tired formula every season.
MORE FORTNITE SEASON 9:
– Fortnite’s Season 9’s Cinematic Trailer Shows A Murderous Jonesy
– Fortnite Season 9 Vaults Pump, Clingers, Poison Darts, Balloons & More
– Fortnite Season 9 Patch Notes: New Tilted, Pump Shotgun Vaulted, Slipstreams & More
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