Let’s try to figure out when we will be getting spooky in Epic’s battle royale.

By Matt Poskitt

Published: Monday, 02 October 2023 at 14:30 PM


Fortnite is known for its many blockbuster events that take place throughout the calendar year.

From the likes of Ariana Grande to Travis Scott, lots of big names have appeared, and yet it’s hard to top Halloween itself – and the battle royale’s own Fortnitemares.

The annual Halloween event has been going strong since 2017, with plenty of limited-time missions, new heroes and ghoulish characters introduced as a result.

It’s also established itself as a fan favourite, with many people jumping back in for the scare fest and several more hoping for improvements over 2022’s outing. 

Before all that, though, the first question that fans are asking now is: will Fortnitemares return?

While no official word has come from developer Epic Games as of yet, we have a feeling an announcement might just be around the corner. Head below for all the latest release date speculation and latest news.

When is the Fortnitemares 2023 release date? Our best estimate

Colourful Fortnitemares art
Fortnitemares.
Epic Games

Looking back at Epic’s history for rolling out updates, we think Fortnitemares is likely to arrive during the second or third week of October.

Usually, these updates are made live on a Tuesday, so either 10th October or 18th October could be possible. That is, of course, if Epic decides to host the spooky event at all this year.

For comparison, last year’s Fortnitemares event ran from 18th October until 1st November 2022. It was included as part of its version 22.20 update and announced shortly beforehand, so there’s a good chance we’ll hear something shortly. We also expect it to run for the same period.

What should we expect from Fortnitemares 2023?

Fortnitemares halloween items, including a pumpkin-shaped bucket and broom
Fortnitemares.
Epic Games

The most recent addition to Fortnite was the inclusion of Ahsoka Tano from the world of Star Wars. However, we don’t expect any further characters from a galaxy far, far away to be appearing as a part of Fortnitemares.

What we do expect are Halloween-themed cosmetics, challenges and some frightening confrontations with monsters.

Some early leaks have given us an idea of some characters, weapons and new animations that might be making it into the event. This includes horror versions for some of Fortnite’s most famous faces, such as Swamp Fishstick, Molton Love Ranger and Shadow Meowscles, according to leaker Wenso (via X, formerly Twitter).

See below for an idea of their supposed leaked designs: