TL;DR: Fortnite's next season starts Saturday, December 5, 2026. Epic has dated the Chapter 7 end event and a new Fortnite Battle Pass for that day. Epic hasn't used the name "Chapter 8" or announced the event time, map or Battle Pass skins yet. The November 28 date is an old leak, so ignore it.
Fortnite Chapter 8 arrives on December 5, 2026. Epic hasn't said "Chapter 8" yet, but two of its posts point the same way. Its Treasure Hunters announcement tells players to keep Saturday, December 5 open for "an unforgettable Chapter 7 end event". Its Fortnite Crew update lists "December 5: Fortnite Battle Pass" in the pass lineup. A finale plus a new Battle Pass on the same day means a new chapter, just as it has every year since 2021.
Theme, island and skins haven't been revealed. This page separates what Epic has confirmed from what dataminers reported, and we'll update it as teasers arrive. Data as of November 12, 2026, Fortnite v43.10 (Treasure Hunters).
When does Fortnite Chapter 8 come out?
Every date we could trace, with its status:
| Date (2026) | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 28 | Chapter 8 launch | Outdated leak from January, contradicted by Epic's Dec 5 dates |
| Dec 4 | Last day to finish the OG Chapter 1: Season X pass | Reported, not in Epic's wording |
| Dec 5 (Sat) | Chapter 7 end event | Confirmed by Epic (date only, no time) |
| Dec 5 | New Fortnite Battle Pass | Confirmed by Epic |
| Dec 5 | LEGO Mini-Pass | Confirmed by Epic |
| Dec 5 | OG Pass ends with Chapter 1: OG Season X finale | Confirmed by Epic |
| Dec 5 | Fortnite Crew changes go live | Confirmed by Epic |
| Dec 5 | Chapter 8 Season 1 (by name) | Expected; Epic hasn't used the "Chapter 8" name yet |
| Dec 17 | Winterfest 2026 starts | Leak (HYPEX schedule reported by Vice in September) |
The leaks and Epic now agree. The HYPEX schedule from September already had "Chapter 8 Launches" on December 5, and Fortnite Status says the LEGO pass drops that day "with our next big update". The open question is when on December 5 you can actually play the new season. The finale comes first, then a downtime. Expect Chapter 8 in the US evening of Saturday, December 5. If the downtime runs long, it could slip into early Sunday in Europe and Asia.
Chapter 7 end event: date and time
Epic has given only the date for the Chapter 7 finale. It's still unnamed and has no start time. The closest precedent is Zero Hour, the Chapter 6 finale. It ran on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 19:00 UTC, according to the Fortnite Wiki, which quotes Epic's announcement. If Epic uses the same slot on December 5, these are your local times:
| Region | Time zone | Event start (if Zero Hour slot repeats) |
|---|---|---|
| US West | PT | Sat, Dec 5, 11:00 AM |
| US Central | CT | Sat, Dec 5, 1:00 PM |
| US East | ET | Sat, Dec 5, 2:00 PM |
| Brazil | BRT | Sat, Dec 5, 4:00 PM |
| UK | GMT | Sat, Dec 5, 7:00 PM |
| Central Europe | CET | Sat, Dec 5, 8:00 PM |
| India | IST | Sun, Dec 6, 12:30 AM |
| Japan | JST | Sun, Dec 6, 4:00 AM |
| Australia East | AEDT | Sun, Dec 6, 6:00 AM |
Treat this as a planning guide, not the confirmed time. Once Epic posts the official time, this table switches to it. Finale events are one-time-only, so log in early and wait in the event playlist. If you join at the start time, you may end up watching on a stream.
For downtime, the last season launch is the best guide. Treasure Hunters went live on November 1 at about 4 AM PT after servers went down around 1 AM PT, according to dataminer HYPEX's timing, which Vice reported. A full chapter update is bigger than a mini-season, so don't expect the downtime after the December 5 event to be shorter.
Every Fortnite chapter so far: dates, islands and finales
Every chapter so far has come with a brand-new island, and since 2021 every one has started between late November and early December. That's why a new map for Chapter 8 is the safe bet:
| Chapter | Started | Ended | Main island | Finale event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | 2017 | Oct 13, 2019 | Athena | The End |
| Chapter 2 | Oct 15, 2019 | Dec 4, 2021 | Apollo | The End |
| Chapter 3 | Dec 5, 2021 | Dec 3, 2022 | Artemis | Fracture |
| Chapter 4 | Dec 4, 2022 | Dec 2, 2023 | Asteria | The Big Bang |
| Chapter 5 | Dec 3, 2023 | Nov 30, 2024 | Helios | Remix: The Finale |
| Chapter 6 | Dec 1, 2024 | Nov 29, 2025 | Oninoshima | Zero Hour |
| Chapter 7 | Nov 29, 2025 | Dec 5, 2026 (scheduled) | Golden Coast, Shattered Coast, Crossbones Isle | Not named yet |
| Chapter 8 | Dec 5, 2026 (expected) | â | Not confirmed | â |
Dates and island names are from the Fortnite Wiki's chapter pages. Chapters 3 through 6 each launched the day after their finale, and Chapter 7 went live the same day as Zero Hour. At 371 days, Chapter 7 is the longest chapter since Chapter 2. Chapters 3 to 6 each lasted 363â364 days. The extra week comes from the 34-day Treasure Hunters mini-season between Season 4 and the finale.
Fortnite Chapter 8 Season 1: theme, map and Battle Pass
Epic has confirmed that a new Battle Pass arrives on December 5, but not its theme, outfits or price. The island hasn't been shown either. Recent "leaked Battle Pass" thumbnails and claims about an Unreal Engine 5.5 map with futuristic factions don't cite any datamined files, so we're leaving them out. What you can count on:
- New island: every chapter so far has replaced the map (see the table above). A Chapter 8 that kept Chapter 7's coastline would be a first.
- Battle Pass: confirmed for December 5 and still included in Fortnite Crew. Price not announced. For reference, the current Treasure Hunters pass costs 800 V-Bucks, per the Fortnite Wiki.
- LEGO Mini-Pass: also lands December 5. After that, Epic says Music and LEGO passes go back to their regular size and come out more often.
Planning to spend the new season on a different controller? Our list of the best controllers for shooters covers the pads we'd pick for fast build fights.
Fortnite Crew changes on December 5
Crew's price stays at $11.99 a month, and it still includes the Battle Pass, Music Pass, LEGO Pass and Rocket Pass Premium. What changes from December 5 is the monthly V-Bucks, which now grow with how long you've stayed subscribed. Tiers per Epic's Crew post:
| Crew tier | Consecutive months subscribed | V-Bucks per month |
|---|---|---|
| Core | 1â2 | 1,000 |
| Bronze | 3â5 | 1,200 |
| Silver | 6â11 | 1,400 |
| Gold | 12+ | 1,600 |
That's up from a flat 800 V-Bucks. Crew members also get +20% Fortnite XP, and squadmates without Crew get +10% while partied with you. The boosts don't stack. Monthly Crew Pack outfits end with December's pack, and Epic will grant every Legacy Style for packs you already own. If you've lapsed, resubscribe between December 6 and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET to keep credit for your last continuous run. After that, everyone restarts at Core.
What to finish before Treasure Hunters ends
Treasure Hunters runs on the 80-player Crossbones Isle until the December 5 finale. Epic hasn't said whether unclaimed rewards stay available after that, so plan as if they don't. The pass costs 800 V-Bucks, and bonus rewards unlock at level 62, per the Fortnite Wiki. Gift the pass to a friend and you both get the Dark Kawaii Team Leader style. These are the outfits in the pass:
| Outfit | Extra styles |
|---|---|
| Ms. All Sunday (One Piece) | Nico Robin |
| Portgas D. Ace (One Piece) | Alabasta Flames |
| Kawaii Team Leader | Rider S (bonus); Dark Kawaii Team Leader (gifting reward) |
| Buccaneer Brigand Jones | Camo Commodore Jones; Treasure Hunter Jones and Ag3nt J (bonus) |
| Charlotte-Sensei | Crimson Charlotte; Samurai C (bonus) |
| Captain X | â |
The pass also has two Victory Royale rewards: the Crow's Nest Cascade glider and the Crowning Achievement emote. Two Captain's Days are left on Epic's schedule, November 15 and November 22, when new weapons and Sprites drop on the map. Mastery Mondays and Treasure Hours Saturdays run until the end of the season.
If your thumbstick has started to wander during the grind, run a quick stick drift test before the new season. Small drift is easier to fix with a deadzone tweak than in the middle of a Chapter 8 match.
Is Fortnite OG ending?
Yes, for now. Epic says the OG Pass ends on December 5 "with a dramatic conclusion" at the end of Chapter 1: OG Season X. The Next Era of Fortnite OG drops in late 2027, so the OG mode goes quiet for most of 2027. Some reports put the last day to finish the Season X pass at December 4. If you're close to the end of it, finish by Thursday night to be safe.
When does Chapter 8 Season 1 end?
Not confirmed. One report based on a bug-fix version listing points to Chapter 8 Season 2 starting on March 4, 2027, which would give Season 1 about three months. Treat that as a placeholder until the Battle Pass tab shows a countdown on launch day.
Moving between Fortnite and other shooters this winter? Our Fortnite to Warzone sensitivity guide converts your Fortnite controller settings so your aim carries over.