- Fortnite's next update, v42.30, releases on October 1, 2026.
- This update brings the Fortnitemares 2026 event, which includes numerous collabs, map changes, Sprites, and more.
- Downtime for the Fortnitemares 2026 update will begin at 4 AM ET on October 1.
Fortnitemares 2026 is nearly here, and there’s a lot to unravel for “Fortober.” Epic Games has been planning this year’s ‘spooky’ content for a while now, and it shows in their latest trailers. Players are getting new Console Overrides, Sprites, Loot Hacks, and of course, the star attraction – the collaboration with Five Nights at Freddy’s in Fortnite this week. That said, here’s a look at the early patch notes for Fortnite update 42.30 and the Fortnitemares 2026 drop.
Fortnite Update 42.30 Downtime Details for Fortnitemares
The downtime for the next Fortnite update 42.30 is expected to begin at 4 AM ET on October 1, 2026. This content patch will bring the much-awaited Fortnitemares 2026 update to Battle Royale.
The scheduled maintenance should last about two hours, with Fortnite servers coming back online at 6 AM ET for everyone.
Fortnite Update 42.30 Fortnitemares Early Patch Notes
New Match Overrides
“The Face,” which is supposedly related to The Nothing, is being featured as a Match Override in Fortnite. This is huge because it directly connects to the storyline that’s been in play since the very beginning. We’re not sure what this Match Override does, but it’s definitely something sinister and will drop with the Fortnitemares 2026 update.
New Sprites
Two new Sprites have been officially revealed for Fortnitemares 2026, but there should be three in total. From what we know based on the Fortnite early patch notes for Fortnitemares, the upcoming Sprites are called Vampire Sprite and Pumpkin Sprite.
The Vampire Sprite seems to take inspiration from Parasites that were introduced in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 7. Based on this fact, we can assume that the Vampire Sprite reduces your overall HP but gives you movement (speed and jump) boosts to compensate.
As for the Pumpkin Sprite, there’s not much we can say, but we assume that it functions similarly to the Birthday Sprite in Fortnite. The Pumpkin Sprite could improve your odds of finding ammo for the Pumpkin Launcher when opening chests. This would give you more ammo and allow you to use the weapons frequently.
Coming to the unknown Sprite, it seems to resemble a variant of the Impostor from Among Us. Its skeleton is on the outside, and it has no eyes. We’re not sure if this Sprite is releasing this week, as it wasn’t officially showcased in the official Fortnitemares 2026 trailer.
New Loot Hacks
Given the way Epic Games has been implementing Loot Hacks in Fortnite, expect this week’s rotation to feature classic Fortnitemares items like the Pumpkin Launcher and Wood Stake Shotgun. If you’re low on Sprite Dust in Fortnite, now’s the time to stock up on this in-game resource. Make use of our loot path guide to farm Sprites in Fortnite to make the task easier.
Loot Pool Updates
We’re not sure what items/weapons to expect as part of Fortnite update 42.30, but we could see the Witch Broom and Fiend Hunter Crossbow make a return during Fortnitemares 2026. The Sideways Scythe is also a popular choice and can give the Kingdom Hearts Keyblade in Fortnite a run for its ‘Candy’.
New Map Changes
The Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 map is being overhauled for Fortnitemares 2026. The Battlewoods POI has been reworked to be more spooky and is now called Gravegate. Houses have been revamped, and jack-o’-lanterns can be seen all around. Cables from Geno’s Machine have reached the POI and are now running through it. Elm Street is also part of this POI, and the Freddy Krueger Fortnite boss should spawn here.
The Arcade Landmark located north of the Gravegate POI is being turned into Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, which serves as the base of operations for the FNAF Fortnite collab. Players can visit this location to take control of one of the playable FNAF characters.
Other parts of the islands should get a makeover as well. Expect to see assets related to Fortnitemares featured in every POI (hopefully), unless Epic Games has solely focused on the aforementioned locations.
Fortnitemares 2026 Collabs
Epic Games has a huge lineup of collabs for Fortnitemares 2026. Eight of these have been officially announced in the latest trailer, while others have been either leaked or hinted at. Here is the list of Fortnitemares 2026 collabs as per the Fortnite early patch notes for the 42.30 update:
- FNAF
- Obsession
- Freddy Krueger
- Slender Man
- Beetlejuice
- Black Clover
- The Purge
- 99 Nights In The Forest
- Ember & Blade
- Hello Neighbor
- Chucky Sidekick (Leaked)
- League of Legends
- Ken Carson
From the aforementioned collabs, we are getting skins for characters such as Freddy Krueger, Slender Man, Beetlejuice, Asta, and Lady Liberty. There are also going to be skins for FNAF characters. All of them are going to be listed in the Fortnite Item Shop starting October 1, 2026.
That’s about everything we can tell you about the Fortnitemares 2026 from early patch notes. If you’re interested in knowing what’s currently in play, you can check out our Fortnite update 42.20 patch notes for more information.
