Fortnite Doomsday event just drastically changed a core mechanic

A Doomsday Event took place in Fortnite on Monday to help set up Season 3 of Chapter 2, and Epic Games just changed the game's universe in a way that's somehow even bigger than that time a black hole swallowed the entire universe.

If you're curious about want went down at 2 p.m. Eastern on June 15, as well as the map and other game changes it brought, here's everything you need to know. Because Fortnite may never be the same.

What happened during Fortnite Chapter 2's Doomsday Event?

Epic Games has been a trailblazer in live service game storytelling, and this season's introduction is no different.

Epic Games capped the number of players who could log into the event in a seemingly arbitrarily way that manufactured a FOMO feeling, so a limited number of people were able to actually log in and experience the event live. Still, plenty of streamers caught the game-changing event live.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern on June 15, several towers rose out of the ground around the Agency building before that building exploded so an even larger building with an orb on top could rise out of the ground. We're meant to assume that Midas, a character from Fortnite lore, built this device.

Players then began to float in the air and experience visions from an office in a first-person perspective, where a character discussed how something was no longer stable before noticing the player. The game then cut back to the game and one thing was very different: the Storm, which has been the single most foundational mechanic of the game since its inception, has been replaced by a tsunami.

What happened to the Storm in Fortnite?

Fortnite: Battle Royale's core mechanic involves an apocalyptic storm that gradually closes in, shrinking the playable area within a match. This event has replaced the Storm with a giant tsunami. While it serves the same purpose at its core, damaging players who get caught in the shrinking area, there are some key differences.

For starters, it's water. If players get caught in the tsunami, they'll be swimming. Moving in water feels somewhat faster, but the abilities of players who get caught in the Storm will be significantly decreased now that it's a tsunami whereas before, you could still use items and weapons when caught in the Storm. This could have a major impact on players who like to hug the wall of the Storm in previous seasons, and just aesthetically this presents a major change for Fortnite Chapter 2.

What does this mean for the future of Fortnite?

This live event holds a few key details in regards to the future of Fortnite. When it comes to map changes, this new event didn't change much outside of the now destroyed Agency building. Regardless, it's still a new area for players to explore. The aforementioned tsunami is by far the biggest change, as players now have to account for the Storm functioning a bit differently than before.

More than anything, this gives us a ton of new lore to sink our teeth into. What was the meaning of those first-person segments? Is Fortnite a simulation? What will happen now that the Agency building has been destroyed? Even though story isn't a major part of Fortnite for many players, this new event progressed the story forward in some intriguing ways that Epic Games can capitalize on in future events and seasons.

How has this Fortnite event been received?

Overall, the reception to the event itself has been very positive. The event broke streaming records across Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer. Players are already theory-crafting about what it all means, specifically when it comes to the first-person segments in this event. The main source of anger was around Epic Games limiting the number of players who could access the event, as it apparently filled up shortly after opening according to the replies of a tweet announcing the closure. Plenty of gamers are voicing complaints about the game crashing, and many others are nothing short of incredulous that the Storm is just made of water now.

Unless this artificial scarcity was to counter service issues, the limited nature of this event seems to have been intentional. Because this felt arbitrary, a lot of players are expressing anger over the fact that Epic Games created scarcity where it didn't need to. Hopefully, future events aren't as difficult to get into, as they are all pretty enjoyable to experience.

Fortnite is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.