Mysterious 'Fortnite' Hatch Has 'Half-Life 2' Connection
Finally, an answer of sorts.
Something strange appeared in Fortnite in early May. Although it’s not as strange as portals showing up and making objects disappear or reappear, which has been happening since July 1, this mysterious hatch has yet to be explained although one player found an interesting link to it and one of the most iconic video games.
A Reddit user posted on the Fortnite subreddit Monday an interesting Easter egg they noticed on the mystery hatch located in Wailing Woods. The structure has one marking on it that no one was able to identify, but this user recognized it was a piece of graffiti seen in Half-Life 2. The marking is a circuit diagram graffiti, and it’s easy to miss in the Half-Life sequel since it’s not one of the more recognizable resist images located throughout the game. A Half-Life 2 wiki, Combine Overwiki, lists the graffiti as an electric resistance symbol in reference to both the Resistance movement in the game as well as the actual resistance a conductor can have on electricity.
'Fortnite' Hatch (left) and 'Half-Life 2' Graffiti (right)
When the hatch first appeared, many Fortnite players figured it was a reference to the TV show Lost. Unlike other structures in the game, it can’t be destroyed, but a few players were able to get an idea of what’s inside. One player used the in-game camera to get a glimpse of what the hatch looks like from underneath. Another used a glitch that removed the hatch texture, but even though it looks open, they were still unable to get inside.
It wasn’t until June when a person found how to get inside with the use of a Shopping Cart. By creating a long ramp, the player was able to slam into the hatch and glitch through it. What they found was a big bunch of nothing, but it did solve the mystery.
Since it showed up, many expected developer Epic Games to make use of the mysterious hatch as a possible connection to other locations via underground tunnels or act as a kind of garage for vehicles. Instead, it appears the hatch was there to pay tribute to Half-Life 2.
Fortnite Season 5 starts on July 12, and there are still many mysteries to unravel — be they portals on the island, random objects appearing and disappearing, or the Supply Llamas showing up in the real world.
