When does Fortnite Season 3 start is a question we now have a confirmed answer for, as it will be officially arriving on Friday May 2, 2025. We also know that it will be titled Galactic Battle, with the overall Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass theme squarely focused on Star Wars. This means we'll be moving away from the current theme of Lawless bank heists and gold bar robberies, though you can't rule out the appearance of space smugglers and scoundrels who may have their own schemes planned.
Epic aren't known for resting on their laurels and will already be planning the next stage of development in Fortnite, so there will certainly be more changes brought in during the course of this chapter and beyond. If you're looking to the future and wondering what Fortnite Season 3 of Chapter 6 may have in store, then here's everything we know about it so far.
When does Fortnite Season 3 start?
The Fortnite Season 3 release date has been officially confirmed as Friday May 2, 2025, and it's no coincidence how close this is to Star Wars Day on May 4. This also tallies with the information displayed for the Season 2 Battle Pass, as seen on the Epic Games website and the in-game message on the Battle Pass screen, which states that the current Battle Pass will end on May 2 at 1:30am EDT. This means that Season 3 will launch almost immediately after that on May 2, following the usual period of downtime for the transition between seasons.
What will be the biggest changes made for Fortnite Season 3 in Chapter 6?
Following a recent official announcement from the Star Wars Celebration event, we now know that Fortnite Season 3 of Chapter 6 is called Galactic Battle and is based around Star Wars, and although crossovers with the space saga are nothing new this is the first time that an entire season has been built around Star Wars. This season will introduce Darth Jar Jar to the battle royale, along with a new Force ability, Force Lightning, and there will be a Star Wars-themed Battle Pass including characters such as Emperor Palpatine along with mashups like Wookiee Cuddle Team Leader.
More details can be seen in the official trailer for Fortnite Season 3, which shows a giant Death Star looming over the island as an armada of ships warp in from space. There are plenty of X-wings and TIE fighters flying around, which players can take control of or co-pilot, and naturally the iconic lightsabers are back so expect intense melee combat along with the other powers they bring.
You can expect to see a number of named locations and landmarks get a Star Wars makeover for Fortnite Season 3, to make the battle royale a more appropriate setting. We've already seen promo shots of what appears to be an outlet named eAT-eAT, built around several downed AT-ATs, and there will no doubt be plenty more map changes to come.
Lastly, we also have a detailed roadmap for Fortnite Season 3, which will run as a five-part saga with distinctive experiences under the following themes:
- Imperial Takeover – May 2
- The Pull of the Force – May 8
- Mandalorian Rising – May 22
- Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29
- Death Star Sabotage – June 7
The Death Star Sabotage is set to conclude this shorter Star Wars-themed season and will be the next Fortnite live event, which promises to be interactive and has been described as "an in-game narrative live event that will surely have players feeling like they’ve got the fate of the whole galaxy in their hands." If any further details are revealed about Fortnite Season 3 then I will add them here, ahead of its launch on May 2.
How much will the Fortnite Season 3 Battle Pass cost?
Fortnite is free to play, but buying the Battle Pass will get you lots of additional rewards. Despite the shorter length, the Fortnite Season 3 Battle Pass will likely still be available for 1,000 V-Bucks – but it will either be condensed (ie 50 levels rather than 100) or the XP earning rate will be increased to progress through it quicker. This means it will still be enough to purchase the smallest V-Bucks bundle in the Fortnite store, priced at $8.99 / £6.99 to get 1,000 V-Bucks.
It's possible to get a head start by buying the Battle Bundle upgrade. This will get you to Tier 25 on the Battle Pass instantly. Doing so will cost you 2,800 V-Bucks, which you can get for $22.99 / £17.49 (2,500 V-Bucks, plus 300 for free). You can also sign up to the Fortnite Crew subscription service, which costs $11.99 / £9.99 per month but gives you access to all of the Fortnite Passes including the Battle Pass, as well as awarding a bonus 1,000 V-Bucks every month and other exclusive rewards.
If you don't want to spend any money, you can always try to get free Fortnite V-Bucks for the Fortnite Season 3 Battle Pass, but don't fall for online scams! If you choose to save up some V-Bucks, remember that you only need 1,000 of them to unlock the next Fortnite Battle Pass starting in May 2025.
And that's everything we know about Fortnite Season 3 in Chapter 6 for now, but keep checking back and we'll have more details as soon as they're revealed!
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