Fortnite update today (4th December): What changes in the patch notes?

With the introduction of Chapter 7 Season 1, there’s plenty of new content to try out, but even more is coming thick and fast, as can be seen in the Fortnite Update today on 4th December 2025.

We’ve got the full patch notes and what changes have been made, including those from the last update.

Just around the corner, we’ve got Fortnite Winterfest 2025 to look forward to, which is rumoured to feature a Harry Potter skin and Hatsune Miku skin.

And if you somehow missed it, there’s a lost Kill Bill chapter that was added to the game. Though you might feel inclined to boycott it if you’re a Paul Dano fan…

But as for what’s new in Fortnite, read on!

What changes in the Fortnite update today (4th December)?

Quite a lot of new content is coming to Fortnite on 4th December 2025, with the Fortnite X (formerly Twitter) account giving us a quick overview.

For Fortnite Realod, players can expect the following:

• Quality of life improvements
• New POIs: Sus Studios, Sweaty Shores and Divey Dam.
• Wingsuit
• New Reload Map
• Rank Reset
• Mastery Quest and rewards

In Fortnite Blitz, we’re also getting a good deal of new content:

• New Kickstart quests (Battle Pass only)
• New loot pool with Self Revive, Wingsuit, Iron Pump Shotgun, Twin Hammer Shotguns, Arc Lightning Gun and Grenade
• New POIs: Holloway House, Ritzy Redux and Boutique Bay

Even more was announced in the patch notes from 29th November, which you can check out further down this page.

Full patch notes for Fortnite v39.00

Though today (4th December) is just a hot-fix, below are the full Fortnite V39.00 patch notes, courtesy of the official Fortnite site, as it pertains to much of what is becoming available today:

New Battle Royale Map - Golden Coast

On the Island, explore a sun-soaked paradise on foot, by car, or through the air in new hot air balloons. These locations are your next backdrop:

• Battlewood Boulevard
• Sandy Strip
• Wonkeeland
• Humble Hills
• Bumpy Bay
• Classified Canyon
• And more to explore!

New Battle Pass

Purchase the Battle Pass and seek revenge as The Bride, rep the future as Marty McFly, and unlock Fortnite originals like Miles Cross and Cat Holloway...plus a new version of Dark Voyager!

In addition to their other unlockable Styles, the Battle Pass includes special Styles for three of the Outfits: Cat Holloway, Carter Wu, and Dark Voyager (Reality Redacted). You can only unlock these additional Styles by completing Quests in Blitz Royale, Reload, and Battle Royale respectively.

New Loot Pool

Weapons & Mobility

New weapons are more responsive with layered recoil and smoother ADS transitions. Reload progress is now saved when your magazine is empty. Start a reload, and if you swap weapons or get interrupted, pick up right where you left off!

• Iron Pump Shotgun: A new heavy-hitting Pump to usher in a new Chapter.
• Twin Hammer Shotguns: Dual-wielded Pump Shotguns that can tear through the competition at close range.
• Deadeye Assault Rifle: Scoped, automatic, and built for those who hit headshots at middle-to-long ranges.
• Holo Rush SMG: Scoped, fast, and dangerous in tight quarters with a fancy new reload animation.
• Vengeful Sniper Rifle: Reaps opponents with bolt-action precision.
• Arc-Lightning Gun: Zap players, vehicles, and builds with electricity.
• Forsaken Vow Blade: Dash in (or out) faster than with the Kinetic Blade, and unleash a flurry of lightning-fast strikes.

Wingsuits are a featured mobility item this Season. Grab one, launch up, and glide wherever the action takes you. No lessons required!

Unvaults (Everyone Loves a Classic!)

• The All Terrain Kart returns, along with your usual sports cars and SUVs.
• The Enforcer AR, Tactical Pistol, and Dual Micro SMGs are back in the pool.
• Bounce in or blast out with Shockwave Grenades and Clinger Grenades.
• Heal yourself with:
• Chug Jugs
• Shield Kegs
• Med Kits
• Bandages
• Shield Potions
• Mini Shield Potions
• Zero Build only: Shield Bubble Jrs and Port-a-Bunkers.

Stay in the Game

We've added several new features for those totally uncommon moments when you're downed:

Joyride in a Reboot Van

Commandeer a Reboot Van like it’s a chase scene! Drivable Reboot Vans have rolled onto the Island, letting you transport your next potential reboot wherever it’s needed.

New Self-Revive Device

If a Self-Revive Device is in your inventory, you can revive yourself while Down But Not Out (DBNO).

Knocked? Don’t Stop

New DBNO movement options have been added across Fortnite Battle Royale:

• Roll & Tumble: Roll to dodge fire or throw yourself down a slope to tumble away from danger.
• DBNO Sprint: Move faster while downed by using Energy.
• Stay on the Move: While DBNO, you can now use ziplines and ascenders, and even hop into a car’s passenger seat!
• Reboot Revive: Crawl, or be thrown, into the back of a Reboot Van to be revived while knocked down

New Gameplay

Defeat the Boss, Be the Boss

Defeat Human Bill, Hush, or Beach Brutus to claim their loot and powers, and to transform into them! Becoming a boss grants full Health and Shield, bonus max Health and Shield, infinite Energy, and a powerful ability. However, your position remains visible to nearby opponents at all times.

Detecting Anomaly… Things May Not Be Quite As They Seem

This Season, each phase of the Storm has a chance to flip the script in real-time. Rift anomalies may summon loot, grant powerful effects to everyone in the match, and more. Expect more rift anomalies to be added and shake things up throughout the Season.

Gold Bar Overhaul

To make sure everyone's on equal footing at the start of a match, Bars will no longer carry over from one match to the next. So, spend them before your match ends to reboot your teammates, hire Characters, or grab powerful gear from Vending Machines with a new item stock. Additionally, you will now be able to drop Bars for your teammates to share resources and help your squad succeed.

New Setting: Simple Build

New to building? We’ve got you covered (literally). Similar to Simple Edit, Simple Build is an option in the settings (Game > Building) that makes learning how to build simpler. Turn on the setting, look in the direction you want to build, and just… build!

Quality of Life Improvements

• More Expressive Hitmarkers: Redesigned hitmarkers now provide clearer combat feedback and improved visibility.
• Ammo Status Indicators: Weapons in your inventory now clearly display that they're out of ammo.
• Jump Shot Capability: Aiming down sights while jumping has been added for more dynamic combat movement options.
• Chiller Characters: Characters won’t turn hostile as quickly after accidentally shooting them.
• Improved Spectator Mode: When you’re eliminated, you'll now automatically spectate your nearest teammate for better squad coordination.
• Emote Wheel Overhaul: The Emote Wheel has been upgraded with a fresh look, expanded capacity (6 → 8 slots), a new Collections view for browsing your full Emote and Jam Track library, and improved sorting and filtering for faster access to your favorites.

Once the Battle Bus is back in commission on December 4, Reload will come back online with the new Surf City map, Blitz Royale will light back up with the new Starfall Island, and Ranked will return. Fortnite OG will return on December 11 with Season 7 and Delulu will return on December 12!

⁠Keep the party going with new developer made islands and updates, inspired by Pacific Break and brought to you for Chapter Seven in partnership with Epic. Find them in the Inspired by Chapter Seven row in Discover.

Discover more with Fortnite creative map codes: Fortnite horror maps | Fortnite action-adventure maps | Fortnite hide and seek maps | Fortnite Zone Wars maps | Fortnite fighting maps | Fortnite parkour maps | best Fortnite creative maps | Fortnite Squid Game map codes | Fortnite Monopoly code | Fortnite I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here code | Fortnite Doctor Who map code

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.