In one of Fortnite’s biggest in-game events ever, Epic let players choose what weapon they wanted to bring back from the vault. But that wasn’t the only changed that happened. The volcano, which first appeared at the start of season 8, also erupted and caused calamity around the map, especially in some of its biggest and most popular locations.
The eruption started right after players exited the vault at the center of Loot Lake. The initial blast was powerful enough to cover the whole map in darkness but it wasn’t until it started throwing molten rocks that players realized how destructive the eruption was going to be.
The first rock flew toward the Polar Peak mountain, smashing into it and causing a giant crack. After that, rocks started flying out in quick succession, with a few flying toward Retail Row and smashing the parking lot. But the biggest collection of molten volcanic fragments flew directly at Tilted Towers, one of Fortnite’s biggest and best known locations. The rocks nearly leveled the city. The only thing left standing is the building that Epic has made a joke out of destroying in seasons past.
The destruction of Tilted Towers is a monumental event in Fortnite. Not just because it’s one of the game’s most popular locations, but also because it’s been predicted by players for so long. The first time rumors of Tilted’s destruction were floated was all the way back in season 3, a little over a year ago. Now that the city is finally destroyed, Epic has the chance to rebuild it with whatever changes it wants, or to put something new there entirely over the course of next season.
For most seasons, Epic orchestrates elaborate in-game events to mark their ending. However, this event was bigger than any we’ve seen so far, both bringing back the drum gun and destroying at least two locations. The official end of season 8 will happen later this week on Wednesday, so you’ll have until then to explore the world before season 9’s changes happen, likely on Thursday.