Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 Guide — Map Changes, New Weapons, Battle Pass, and More

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 dropped on March 19, 2026, and it's one of the biggest season launches in recent memory. Nearly the entire loot pool got replaced, the map got four new named locations, and a brand new Rivalry system changes how you interact with other players mid-match. If you want to jump in with a head start, Goranked has Fortnite accounts available so you can skip straight to the action.

Season Showdown — Ice King vs Foundation

Fortnite Season 2 is built around a conflict between two familiar faces — the Ice King from Chapter 1 and the Foundation, back again with Dwayne Johnson's likeness. The Ice King had the Foundation frozen for years. Now he's free and not happy about it.

When you first log in, you pick a side: Team Foundation or Team Ice King. The team that defeats the most rivals by the end of the season wins, and that result determines the final reward every battle pass owner receives.

How the Showdown works:

• Pick your team at first login.

• Defeat rivals throughout the season to earn points for your side

• Weekly challenges award new cosmetics each week — Week 1 is 50 kills for a pair of kicks.

• Top leaderboard players compete for real prizes: RTX 5080 graphics card and PlayStation 5

• Track your progress and register at showdown.fortnite.com

The Rivalry system ties directly into all of this. Rivalry Screens are scattered around the Fortnite Season 2 map — interact with one to declare a specific player as your enemy for that match. Beat them, and you earn special currency to spend on bonus loot and powerful weapons.

The risk-reward here is real. Use Rivalry Screens every match, and you'll farm currency fast, but you'll also become a priority target for other players. Never touch them, and you're basically invisible. How hard you want to lean into it is up to you.

Map Changes

Fortnite Season 2 brought four new named locations, all replacing existing spots on the map:

• Squibbly Shores — replaced Bumpy Bay in the west, themed around Squibbly the squid boy from the battle pass.

• Frigid Fortress — replaced Clawsy Lodge, fits the Ice King's frozen aesthetic.

• New Sanctuary — replaced Classified Canyon, a direct reference to the Chapter 3 map location.

• Dark Dominion — replaced Lethal Labs, now controlled by the Dark Voyager.

On top of the newly named locations, two additional areas are worth knowing: Frozen Castle and Wanderer Station. These aren't fully named POIs but are new explorable zones that tie into the season's lore and contain new loot opportunities.

The map changes are more significant than a typical mid-chapter refresh. Four replaced locations mean four entirely different rotations, loot patterns, and engagement zones compared to Season 1. If you've been running the same drop spots since January, most of them look different now.

New Weapons And Movement

New Weapons And Movement

Almost the entire Season 1 loot pool is gone. Only two weapons carried over — the Iron Pump and Twin Hammer shotguns. Everything else is new or returning from older seasons. Brand new weapons in Fortnite Season 2:

• Vector 7 DMR — new semi-auto sniper rifle, fills the precision long-range slot

• Chaos Reloader Shotgun — new close-range option replacing most of last season's shotgun pool

• Bouncing Boomstick — new explosive weapon

• Ice King Gauntlets — coming later in the season.

Returning weapons:

• Nemesis AR

• Thunder Burst SMG

Movement got a full reset, too. Shockwave Grenades are vaulted again after all the drama last season. Two new items replace them:

• Overdrive Grenade — similar to a Shockwave in that it launches you into the air, but it also gives bonus speed and unlimited sprint for a few seconds. Shorter distance than Shockwave and doesn't destroy buildings — more of a repositioning tool than an escape option.

• Skyline Deployer — lets you attach a zipline to any surface, including balloons floating in the air. Jump off and activate your glider. This is the main way to cover distance quickly in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2.

Seven Power Gloves are also confirmed for later in the season, described as a new version of Chapter 5's Nitro Fists.

Battle Pass

The Fortnite Season 2 battle pass costs 800 V-Bucks or comes included with a Fortnite Crew subscription. Buying it instantly unlocks the Ice King skin.

Key skins in the pass:

• Ice King — unlocked immediately on purchase.

• Bugs Bunny — tier 100, only unlockable after claiming everything else

• The Foundation Reforged — Dwayne Johnson's likeness, multiple styles available all season

• Elite Jules

• Lady Windfrost

• Squibbly — the squid boy sidekick

Each skin comes with accompanying pickaxes, back blings, and gliders. The pass also includes a new pair of kicks and the Ice Prince sidekick.

First Week Exclusive — Buy the battle pass before March 27, and you get the Stealth Tech style for Foundation Reforged, plus all accompanying cosmetics. This is the first exclusive item on a Fortnite pass in about a year and a half. All other Foundation styles remain available the entire season.

If you buy V-Bucks through Epic's payment system on iOS, PC via Epic Games Store, or Google Play in the US, you get 20% back as Epic Rewards.

Fortnite 2026 Roadmap

Epic Games published the full update schedule for 2026 through their Creator Trello board. Here's what's confirmed:

FAQs

When did Fortnite Season 2 start?

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 2 launched on March 19, 2026.

What are the new weapons in Fortnite Season 2?

Three entirely new weapons: Vector 7 DMR, Chaos Reloader Shotgun, and Bouncing Boomstick. The Nemesis AR and Thunder Burst SMG also return from previous seasons. Ice King Gauntlets are confirmed for later in the season.

Who is in the Fortnite Season 2 battle pass?

The pass includes Ice King, Bugs Bunny, The Foundation Reforged, Elite Jules, Lady Windfrost, and Squibbly. Bugs Bunny is the tier 100 skin and requires unlocking everything else first.

When does Fortnite Chapter 8 start?

According to the official 2026 roadmap, Chapter 8 is scheduled to launch on December 10, 2026, with update 44.00.