Fortnite Season 9: runes, rumours, map changes and more

Season 8 is drawing to a close in Fortnite and we’re finally getting some clues for what we can expect in Season 9.

There’s always a big event to end one season and usher in another in Fortnite, though it’s not clear what that will involve just yet.

Fortnite gets an Avengers crossover this week beginning April 25. This is the second Avengers theme to appear in Fortnite, and it’s possible that this time around we could see some of the Avengers’ skins appear in-game, or maybe some of their signature weapons will be usable.

A rune appeared in Fatal Fields over the weekend, and it has finally arrived at Loot Lake. Diggers have been excavating all over the map throughout Season 8 and a strange metal hatch has appeared in Loot Lake that seems to guard a vault.

These runes are likely tied to Season 9’s theme, so let’s take a look at what we know so far.

Fortnite Season 9 rumours

The rune made it’s way across the map and settled in Loot Lake, and players were encouraged to inflict damage upon it. As the rune arrived at Loot Lake, smoke started to stream out of the volcano, which signals that we might have our pre-empted volcanic eruption at last.

Given that the Season 8 skin is called Ruin, we may see the map completely change in Season 9 if the volcanic eruption destroys certain areas.

There are four runes in total that need to be activated. A second rune was spotted near Paradise Palms, along with three lasers near the volcano, north Pleasant Park and just South of Shifty Shafts. In a Trio, have each member of your team go to a different laser and hit them with your pickaxe until they point at the rune at Loot Lake.

If you find a rune travelling across the map, fire a few rounds at it to lower its health so it will move. If you land on it, you’ll be promptly catapulted into the air.

The next two runes are a bit of a mystery, but one looks like a running man and the other is rumoured to involve building something. Lining up lasers and damaging runes is something that’s going to take a bit of time, and the rune’s HP has already been altered twice as to hurry things along a bit.

The dragon eggs still haven’t hatched yet, and given that Game of Thrones’ final season is well underway, we may see them hatch over the next week or so. A volcanic eruption would be another means of melting the map quickly and we might be able to see the full castle that’s currently buried at Polar Peak, as well as giving the baby dragons a blast of heat to help them hatch.

There are still rumours floating around that a Kraken will be attacking the island, which fits in with the current Pirate theme of Season 8. It’s feasible to wonder if the runes are the Kraken’s calling card, thought something completely different could be hiding in the vault, like Kevin the Cube 2.0 or perhaps something to do with the space theme that was rumoured a few months ago.

There’s also the rumour that Season 9 will have Battle Pass gifting, meaning that you could give your friend a Battle Pass if you felt so inclined.

Season 8 ends on May 2, 2019, so we don’t have long to wait and see what big event is in store for Season 9.