Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 start time, live event, and leaks

Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 starts the first weekend in June, following an explosive-looking end to Season 2. Epic Games still hasn’t confirmed the next Fortnite season’s exact start time but did reveal the date in an easily missed blog update. Here’s when you can jump into Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3.

When is the Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 start time?

Typically, there’s a bit of lag time between seasons in Fortnite. The end of one season usually brings a lengthy period of downtime, which can last several hours before the next season begins. The countdown timer for the Season 2 Battle Pass previously listed an end date of June 3, so when Epic announced an end-of-season event for June 4, there was some speculation that the game would skip its usual downtime and head right into Season 3 after the event. Since then, the timer has been updated to show a June 4 end date.

Epic has now quietly confirmed that Season 3 starts June 5, so it looks like there’s a brief downtime period is on the calendar after all. In a May 31 news update, the publisher announced its next in-game concert will feature J-pop star Gen Hoshino. The same update confirms Season 3’s June 5 start date, saying “Hoshino’s show will air back-to-back for 72 hours starting Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 8 AM ET — just a few days after Chapter 3 Season 3 launches on June 5!”

What is the Fortnite Season 3 live event?

As Epic announced May 26, an event called Collision will bridge the gap between Season 2 and Season 3. Collision kicks off on June 4 at 4 p.m. Eastern and won’t be playable once Season 3 begins. Epic shared a short video teaser of the event that doesn’t give much away, but we know it will involve Mecha Team Leader, a bear-headed robot that hasn’t been spotted in Fortnite for some time. A second teaser from June 2 shows a crew suiting up to pilot a massive bear mech Voltron-style.

Collision will involve the war between factions The Seven and Imagined Order, and the trailer’s audio hints at open war. Its outcome will likely be felt throughout Season 3.

Are there any Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3 leaks?

As usual, Fortnite sprung a few leaks ahead of Season 3. While these aren’t confirmed by Epic, they’ve been shared by HYPEX, a leaker with a long track record of credible information. An image reportedly showing the Season 3 Battle Pass reveals skins for Darth Vader and Indiana Jones.

That lines up with information that leaked during an Unreal Engine 5 livestream in April. In that video, folders are visible referencing Doom, Family Guy, and Star Wars. Family Guy characters have been rumored to appear in Fortnite for a while now, and while a Doom crossover hasn’t been mentioned, it would fit right in.

With Vader and Indiana Jones highly likely to appear, there’s a good chance we’ll see more Star Wars characters in Season 3. Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard shared street art of C-3PO and Chewbacca recently, which Fortnite fans immediately took as a sign they were coming to the game. Given what else we know, it’s unlikely to be a coincidence. Season 3 also lines up nicely with Obi-Wan Kenobi premiering on Disney Plus, so more Star Wars characters are almost a given.

Epic Games has been more forthcoming about the June Crew Pack, which is available to subscribers. It will include a Mecha Strike Commander skin plus a back bling and weapon wrap based on the character. With just days to go until Season 3 starts, more big reveals are unlikely, but players can see how it shapes up for themselves soon enough.