Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will change ranked play – here’s how

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is incoming later this week, replacing the long-standing Lawless season, which has run since the end of February. With each new Fortnite season comes dramatic changes to the map, weapon selection, power-ups, bosses, and more. While there’s a notable impact with casual battle royale play, it’s those playing ranked that will notice the changes more significantly. 

We’ll be going over the Fortnite Chapter 6 leaks and news, including information around the weapons, map changes, Fortnite ranks, and everything else that will impact how competitive players go through the game. FNCS Pro-Am is happening just after the season rollout, so we’re detailing how things will change. 

The biggest changes introduced in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 include new Star Wars-themed weapons and a map based on Lucasfilm’s popular sci-fi franchise. The season is officially known as Galactic Battle, with new places of interest including the First Order Base, Resistance Base, Output Enclave, and Vader Samurai’s Solitude, alongside the staple Chapter 6 areas. Lightsabers will also be turning as pick-up weapons, which have (historically) been among the most powerful weapons in the game’s current meta. The official key art has also revealed some weapons, including the Westar-34 pistols, Chewbacca’s Bowcaster, and Han Solo’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol. 

Epic Games has teased some of the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 battle pass rewards, with some confirmed skins and items to be Poe Dameron (as portrayed by Oscar Isaac), General Grievous, and Emperor Palpatine leading the charge. The Fortnite Galactic Battle teaser trailer has also hinted at Darth Jar Jar Binks, Mace Windu, Luke Skywalker, The Mandalorian (Din Djarin), Captain Phasma, and a custom costume inspired by Chewbacca for the team leader. Four lightsabers have been shown off, including Windu’s, Kylo Ren’s, Luke’s, and Rey’s. However, it’s not yet known if these will be customizable pickaxes or in-field weapons. 

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One of the core components of Fortnite’s ranked play is knowing where to drop from the Battle Bus, and that’s where the changes brought to the Fortnite Chapter 6 map will become notable. With four new Star Wars-themed areas on each corner of the map, it’s expected that these new locations will become a hot spot for players dropping in, as they’re expected to feature some of the best weapon and item drops to find. Furthermore, being placed on the perimeter makes them ideal to loot first and then move inwards as the storm begins to shrink. 

As well as the map changes, there are the new Fortnite Chapter 6 weapons coming to Galactic Battle, which have only been teased until this point. We can look back at last year’s Fortnite X Star Wars event to see how powerful the weapons could be. Chewbacca’s Bowcaster was deemed OP and the best weapon for its damage and range, and it’s said to be returning in Galactic Battle. With that said, lightsabers have been hit-and-miss in Fortnite, with previous years also having force powers alongside the melee capabilities. The Bowcaster is likely to become the ‘it’ weapon this season. 

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is using its Galactic Battle theme to roll out new vehicles, with the X-Wing and Tie Fighters fully pilotable for five weeks. It’s claimed that the Tie Fighter will be a duos vehicle (one player driving and another riding on top), whereas the X-Wing is believed to be a full squad vessel, able to take on four players at a time (one side and three on the wings). You’ll need to learn how to fly these two distinct machines, or learn the best methods of attack if you’re on top (or on the wings), as they’ll be popular transport for the season. 

As well as the Star Wars branding, it’s important to note that Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is only around half as long as the usual Fortnite season length. It will run for just five weeks, and that’s why the Battle Pass is cut down to only 52 tiers, giving players enough time to collect everything without too much crunch. With two new vehicles, four new areas, and a handful of rumored weapons making a comeback, there will be a lot to learn for ranked play in a short amount of time in the changing meta. 

Fortnite’s upcoming Galactic Battle season looks to be shaking up the formula significantly with its new points of interest, weapons, and vehicles that will impact the way ranked players (and the pros) experience the game. Star Wars weapons and items have (historically) been among the best in the game, and having the new POIs on each corner of the map will see them as a hot spot for those spawning in. As it’s running for just over a month, you won’t get long to try it all out.