Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 is about to go live, and Shock N Awesome is more than just a name.
Bugs will take over the Island, and Epic will hand us bug-zapping gear. It is a full-on bug war, complete with creepy new creatures, nasty goop, and enough firepower to level a hive.
Time to stomp the swarm, climb the OXR ranks, and unlock some ridiculous loot while you are at it.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 start date & downtime details
Chapter 6, Season 4 will release on August 7, 2025.
As far as downtime goes, it will start at 1:30 AM ET. Servers will go offline during this time to prepare for the big update, so you won’t be able to launch the game at all. However, you should still be able to download the patch.
Looking at previous updates, the downtime would generally only last a few hours, though this doesn’t rule out the possibility of Epic taking longer than usual to launch the update.
New Fortnite map and POIs in Season 4
The island’s map has been taken over by the infestation. Three new Points of Interest stand out this season:
- The Hive is your go-to nightmare fuel. The place is crawling with bugs and entering without backup is basically asking to be swarmed.
- OXR HQ is the last line of defense. You will find commanders, a full battle ops hub, and a shiny armory where you can spend Bars on gear.
- Ranger’s Ruin used to be a weapons lab until the bugs took over. Now it is an abandoned mess, but packed with high-tier loot for those brave enough to explore it.
Fortnite Season 4 bosses
Say hello to your new enemies:
- Swarmers are fast, small, and annoying. If you are not careful, they will apparently overwhelm you in seconds.
- Bombers are the big boys. They like to tunnel underground and lob goop grenades when you least expect it.
- Queens are the real problem. These massive slug-like bosses only show up after you clear a nest. They are huge, they summon reinforcements, and they hit like a truck.
Defeat one and you get a Mythic weapon and a Medallion with a powerful passive effect.
New Fortnite weapons in Season 4
OXR gear is military-grade and ready to melt bugs.
Here is what is in the loadout:
- Bug Blaster shoots plasma balls or charges up for a massive shot.
- Leadspitter 3000 is your classic minigun.
- Sweeper Shotgun and Wrecker Revolver offer up-close firepower.
- Swarmstrike is a guided rocket launcher made to clear out nests fast.
Later this season you can ride around in a Roly Poly, a big bug shell that doubles as a vehicle.
There is also the Hammerhead Choppa, a new helicopter with a built-in cannon and hover capabilities.
If you prefer pop culture pew pew, the Blade Blaster from Power Rangers is also dropping soon.
Fortnite OXR rank system & Boons explained
Every match starts you at C rank. Eliminate players and bugs to rank up to B, A, S, and S Plus.
The higher your rank, the better the rewards.
Every time you rank up, an OXR Drop Pod lands near you with gear, a Boon, and maybe even a Mythic weapon. At rank A and up, you unlock Exotic bunkers.
Boons grant perks like recoil control, bigger mags, unlimited sprint energy, and faster reloads. Some are found in chests, others come from Drop Pods or mid-match missions.
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 4 Battle Pass and skins
The Shock N Awesome Battle Pass includes both free and premium rewards. Buy in for 1000 V-Bucks or get it through Fortnite Crew.
Instant unlock: UNSC Spartan
Other skins include Yoo–mi, Agent Patch, Battle Gamer Mae, Lt Ripp Slade, and Onyx Winter
Green Ranger is in the cast and yes, he shouts it is morphin time
Dino Megazord is coming September 16 via special quests
If you reach level 100 without buying the pass, you still unlock the UNSC Spartan on August 26
Power Rangers bundle and shop items
The Mighty Morphin Bundle hits the Item Shop mid-August. It includes Red, Black, Blue, Yellow, and Pink Rangers along with matching gear and the Go Go Power Rangers Redux Jam Track.
Buy anything from the Fortnite web Item Shop this season and you will unlock the Goldskull Peel Pack Back Bling.
Twitch Drops and Supercharged XP event
Watch Fortnite on Twitch from August 7 to August 11 to unlock exclusive cosmetics like the Metal Menace Wrap and Skeletal Cyberscythe Pickaxe.
Log in between August 15 and 18 to get five levels of Supercharged XP. It works on everything you do, until it runs out.
Blitz Royale updates in Chapter 6 Season 4
Blitz Royale is also getting new content during this season.
- On August 12, a new POI called Oathbound Citadel arrives.
- On August 19, Medallions, Boons, and Mythics from Shock N Awesome will be added to Blitz Royale matches.
Competitive and performance mode notes
Shock n Slow Shockwave Launcher and Swarmstrike are disabled in tournaments.
On PC, Performance Mode now runs on DirectX 12 by default. The old DX11 version is now legacy.
