If somehow you hadn't noticed, Season 8 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is in full swing. A huge patch has introduced sweeping changes to the game--the map has been altered, there's a new weapon/item, and much more. That's all to be expected, and the other routine aspect of a new season is a new Battle Pass. Below, we've got a rundown on all the key details to know about the Battle Pass, including how it works, what it costs, and how you can earn the new skins it brings with it.
How Does The Battle Pass Work?
The Battle Pass is effectively the means by which players unlock new cosmetic items such as skins, emotes, wraps, gliders, and back bling--basically anything cool you see on other players running around the island. This is done by playing Fortnite, taking out enemy players and scoring Victory Royales, and completing the weekly challenges. The Battle Stars you accrue while doing all this levels up the Battle Pass and, in turn, the cosmetics become available.
As with previous Battle Passes, there are over 100 levels to upgrade through. When you acquire a Battle Pass, you'll automatically get the Blackheart and Hybrid progressive skins. These outfits can be leveled up to evolve into different styles, which is a neat touch introduced in Season 7.
Everyone Gets Select Challenges For Free
You're not required to have a Battle Pass as, by default, everyone is able to unlock a limited number of cosmetics. However, with what is effectively the free version of the Battle Pass, it takes much longer to level up the Battle Pass and unlock these cosmetics, and most of them are reserved for paid Battle Pass owners. But it takes longer to level up because a portion of the weekly challenges are exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks on a Battle Pass. More challenges to do means more Battle Stars earned, which levels up the pass quicker and gets players those precious cosmetics.
How Much Does A Battle Pass Cost?
The Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks from the in-game store. V-Bucks is a Fortnite-specific currency that you can purchase with real money. Those that completed the 13 free Overtime challenges during the Share the Love event towards the end of Season 7 are entitled to a Season 8 Battle Pass at no cost. If that's you, head to the Battle Pass tab to get it or upgrade to a Battle Bundle at a discount. Otherwise, you'll need to spend V-Bucks, which you might have earned from a previous Battle Pass, or by plunking down real money; 1,000 go for $10 in the US.
You Can Get Free V-Bucks
Although a Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks, you could argue that it pays for itself if you play Fortnite regularly. If you have a Battle Pass you'll also be rewarded with V-Bucks as you level it up--every six to 10 tiers, you'll be given 100 free V-Bucks. If you're dedicated throughout the season and manage to reach rank 58, you'll have earned 1,000 V-Bucks, which is more than you'll have spent on the Battle Pass in the first place.
There are additional V-Bucks to be earned beyond that, but you'll have to spend quite a bit of time to get it all. Fortnite developer Epic has previously estimated that earning every reward in the Battle Pass takes between 75 and 150 hours. Generally, however, if you play regularly and complete a lot of challenges, it shouldn't be too difficult to get value out of the pass.
Completing Challenges With Friends
One thing to note for Season 8 is the introduction of Party Assist, which should make completing the weekly challenges significantly easier. This new feature allows a player to group up with friends and, prior to starting a match, activate Party Assist so all the players can work towards challenge progress together.
What Are The Rewards?
When you purchase a Battle Pass, you'll immediately receive a few skins including the Blackheart and Hybird ones, both of which can be leveled up. As they are leveled up, their visual style evolves to look cooler. You'll also get an immediate XP bonus. You can check out our other coverage to see all the Season 8 skins, as well as every Battle Pass reward.
What's New In Season 8?
For Season 8, Epic has once again rolled out a cool new world event. This time around a huge volcano has appeared, introducing lava onto the island. At the same time a powerful figure, the Prisoner, has escaped the Ice King and pirates have shown up too. There's treasure to be found as well, and all of these factions are after it. The island looks different and new locations have appeared, so whether you're a seasoned Fortnite player or a newcomer, it should be exciting.
Epic had detailed everything new in its Fortnite update 8.0 patch notes. Along with more information on the world event, you can find out about the new cannon weapon, learn about the latest limited-time modes, and more in the notes.
