Why is There a Countdown on Fortnite? Lobby Timer Explained

Every Fortnite player jumps up with excitement whenever there is a new countdown timer that shows up in the lobby, signaling that something big is about to go down. While this was limited to live events in the past, Epic has since begun featuring countdown timers for Fortnite power hours, too, keeping players up to date. 

However, a new countdown timer has been added to Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1, leaving players confused as to what it is counting down to. If you find yourself wondering the same, here are all the answers you’re looking for:

What is the Countdown on Fortnite For?

The countdown timer in the lobby is for the Fortnite Rocket Live Event rerun, which will feature the giant red rift in the sky opening up and The Visitor’s rocket coming through it. The event has already taken place once, bringing The Visitor NPC to the Chapter 7 island to help fight the Dark Voyager.

However, the first run of the live event came as a surprise to everyone after the Fortnite 39.50 update, with Epic only teasing the event 5 minutes before it happened. This left many players disappointed, as there was not enough time for them to join a game and witness the event. To rectify this, Epic is holding a rerun of this mini event on the Chapter 7 map.

Fortnite Rocket Live Event Rerun Time and Reward

The Fortnite Rocket live event rerun will take place on February 28, 2026, at 3:30 PM ET. Players have to simply join a match or be in a match during this time to witness the live event. Here are the timings for the Rocket live event rerun in all regions:

To make up for players missing out on the previous iteration of this Fortnite live event, Epic will also grant players the Visitor’s Return Loading Screen, further building on the return of The Seven to the storyline. 

Will you be joining the Rocket live event rerun and witness the Visitor’s return to Fortnite? Tell us in the comments below!