Fortnite Act II drops April 16

Fortnite’s Showdown season shifts into Act 2 on Thursday, April 16, with Epic teasing the return of The Elites in Chapter 7 Season 2. (fortnite.com) (ign.com) Epic’s official teaser says “The Elites are coming” and dates the Act 2 update for April 16, 2026. Coverage of the trailer says it brings back characters including Slone and Daigo as the season’s rivalry escalates. (ign.com) (beebom.com) The current season began on March 19, when Epic split players between Team Foundation and Team Ice King in a season-long contest over weapons, items, and cosmetic rewards. Epic says the winning side at season’s end decides whether Battle Pass owners receive Frost-Ready Foundation or Exalted Frost Ice King. (fortnite.com) That setup makes April 16 more than a routine patch date. Epic’s Showdown contest rules list March 19 through April 16, 2026, as the official entry period for the season’s leaderboard challenge. (fortnite.com) Epic is also still selling the Showdown Battle Pass with major unlocks tied to the season, including The Foundation (Reforged) and Exalted Ice King. The Battle Pass page says players are also deciding which of those two gets an extra style. (fortnite.com) Outside the game client, Epic has tied the season to a global web leaderboard challenge. The event page says registered players can earn in-game rewards and compete for physical prizes including a PlayStation 5 console and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition. (fortnite.com) Reports on the teaser point to a new charge-based weapon and a bigger role for Elite Jules in Act 2, though Epic has not yet posted a full written breakdown on its news hub. As of April 14, Epic’s news page still lists the March 19 season announcement as the latest Battle Royale story tied to Showdown. (techwiser.com) (fortnite.com) So the clearest date on the board is April 16: that is when Act 2 begins, and it is also when Epic’s current Showdown contest window closes. (ign.com) (fortnite.com)