Fortnite Chapter 2 hype builds as Epic shuts it down

Developer Epic Games is using a classic strategy to build up excitement for Fortnite Chapter 2. The studio is hoping that the absence of its free-to-play battle royale shooter will make players’ hearts grow fonder. And it seems like it’s working. Fans are engaging with the mystery of why they cannot play Fortnite.

It is The End for Fortnite. Or, at least, that’s what Epic is calling its latest live event. At 11 a.m. Pacific time (2 p.m. Eastern) on Sunday, October 13, an explosion tore apart Fortnite’s battle royale island. The map has seen similar explosions in the past. But this one was different because it created a blackhole that sucked in everything.