A Fortnite volcano has erupted during a recent live event, destroying Tilted Towers and sparking speculation about potentially huge gameplay and map changes as we hurtle towards season 9 of Epic’s ever-popular battle royale. It all formed part of the new Fortnite Unvaulting LTM, which debuted just in time for players to witness the May 4 Fortnite event alongside friend and foe alike. The Unvaulting also allowed players around the world to vote on which previously-removed weapons, such as the Drum Gun, would return to the game.
The event started by letting players choose between several vaulted weapons after Loot Lake opened up and sucked players in to a Matrix-like dimension. The eventual winner was the Drum Gun, but that was only the starter for an explosive main course. Because, then, things got even weirder.
The volcano, which had been bubbling up for some time, erupted and destroyed Tilted Towers and Retail Row, which might come as a seismic shock to those who hold a close affinity to the iconic game locations. Lava continued to bubble as ash filled the air.
The signs for the May 4 Fortnite event have been there for some time, with a Loot Lake countdown clock ticking down until today at 3 PM Eastern/8 PM BST. Elsewhere, several runes also popped up, requiring players to do weird and wonderful things (such as dancing near the glyphs or attacking it until it moved on to another location) and all acted as mini-teases for the Fortnite Unvaulting event.
This isn’t the first time Epic has pulled the trigger on a worldwide event. Earlier this year, EDM artist Marshmello hosted a live in-game concert for millions of players, while June 2018’s Blast Off event saw the end of season 4 marked with a rocket launch.
It remains to be seen what will become of the Fortnite volcano, whether Tilted Towers has been destroyed for good, and if there are any other major changes on the horizon, but it’s clear the Unvaulting event has shaken things up in a big way before season 9 hits.
