Fortnite map flipped in live event 'The End'

This would've set alarm bells ringing for long-term Fortnite players, who will remember that the original Fortnite map was sucked into a black hole when Fortnite Chapter 1 transitioned into Fortnite Chapter 2 a few years ago.

If you're only tuning in now, don't worry. You may have missed the event, and Epic Games is not intending to let anyone replay it, but we've got all the key details for you below.

What happened in the Fortnite live event?

At 9pm UK time on Saturday 4th December 2021, a live event dubbed The End began in Fortnite. Players were able to join the event in groups of up to 16 players, having waited together in a virtual queue prior to the event beginning.

As we'd been told to expect ahead of time, The End event tasked these groups of players with trying to fight off the Cube Queen, the villainous alien that had been wreaking havoc across the island throughout Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 8's Cubed storyline.

Many predicted that this battle would be cataclysmic for the Fortnite map, and plenty of people guessed that an extinction-level event would wipe Fortnite as we know it.

So, what went down?

Following the players' clash against the Cube Queen, zombies and UFOs, none other than Dwayne Johnson (we know?!) turned up to save the day, because the man just can't help himself. And then, as if that wasn't quite enough, the island was flipped, because why the heck not?!

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What happened to the Fornite map previously?

Way back in October 2019, Epic Games hosted another event called The End to bring the original version of Fortnite to a close and tee up Fortnite Chapter 2.

During that event, players watched with intrigue/terror as asteroids pummelled the Fortnite map. Their on-screen avatars were pulled into a cosmic rift and the Fortnite map was sucked into a black hole.

Just to add to the drama, the social media team at Epic Games opted to broadcast a live-stream of the black hole for two days. And then, finally, life found a way - Fortnite Chapter 2 emerged from the darkness and players were able to jump back into their beloved battle royale game.

When will Fortnite return with its new map?

Now that Fortnite Chapter 2 has hosted its own iteration of The End event, you might be wondering what happens next.

We already knew that Fortnite would carry on, forging ahead with Fortnite Chapter 3, but when exactly will that new Fortnite map be available?

As things stand, Epic Games has not confirmed the exact date and time for Fortnite Chapter 3 to arrive, but we'll be sure to let you know when that information comes to light.

Watch this space for updates.

And in big news, a leaked trailer for Chapter 3 not only reveals a shiny new island is on its way, but that Spider-Man himself will also be swinging by, plus a raft of other exciting new features.

The next chapter can't arrive quickly enough.

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