Fortnite is in Chapter 7 Season 3: Runner, with a John Wick crossover and a new Battle Pass skin. The game faces a potential collaboration pause with Vampire Survivors due to Epic Games' generative AI push, while a former employee has been permanently barred from leaking trade secrets. Its popularity among Japanese elementary school students has dropped to 5th place.
Fortnite's current season, Chapter 7 Season 3: Runner, launched on June 6, 2026, with a trailer at Summer Game Fest. The season includes a Battle Pass skin called HEATWAVE PJ and a collaboration with the John Wick franchise. The same day, a disaster prevention education experience built inside Fortnite was exhibited at the International Festival in Osaka, with plans to expand to schools and local governments.
On June 17, Epic Games announced during its State of Unreal 2026 keynote that Fortnite would collaborate with Vampire Survivors. Hours later, developer poncle posted on Reddit stating it was reviewing the partnership, citing news that Epic Games is using generative AI to create game assets, including Fortnite characters. Poncle has previously stated it would reject publishing games using generative AI or Web3 technology. The collaboration's fate remains uncertain.
Epic Games reached a settlement with former associate producer Hayden Cohen, who was sued for leaking Fortnite confidential information, including details about a South Park collaboration. The settlement permanently prohibits Cohen from accessing or disclosing Epic's trade secrets, pending court approval. Separately, a six-year trend survey of Japanese elementary school students showed Fortnite dropping from 1st to 5th place at 4.9%, as Roblox surged to 2nd at 12.7% and Minecraft led at 31.8%.
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Epic Games has filed a motion for a consent judgment and permanent injunction against former associate producer Hayden Cohen, who was sued for leaking Fortnite confidential information, including details about a South Park collaboration. The settlement permanently prohibits Cohen from accessing or disclosing Epic's trade secrets, pending court approval.
Director Takashi Shimizu's upcoming horror film 'Dareka-san to Asobo?' is being promoted with an original horror map on Fortnite, created by Neverty. The map features a sound-based game system, and a gameplay video with actress Maiwa Oguni has been released. The map launches on July 2.
Kayak Co., Ltd. published six-year trends from its annual elementary school gaming survey on June 29, 2026. Minecraft leads at 31.8%, Roblox jumps to 2nd at 12.7%, and Fortnite drops from 1st to 5th at 4.9%. The data shows a shift from competitive battle games to creation and social play.
On June 17, Epic Games announced during its State of Unreal 2026 keynote that Fortnite would collaborate with several titles including Vampire Survivors, developed by poncle. Within hours, poncle posted on Reddit stating it was reviewing the partnership. The developer cited news that Epic Games is using generative AI to create game assets including Fortnite characters. A video published June 16 showed an internal tool called Gen Media being used in the art creation process, with prompt-typing visible. The State of Unreal presentation also emphasized generative AI features: Unreal Engine 5.8 added conversational AI support, and the planned Unreal Engine 6 will integrate AI agents like Claude and Codex for development tasks. Poncle has previously stated it would reject publishing games using generative AI or Web3 technology. The developer said it will inform if there are any developments, leaving the collaboration's fate uncertain.
Meta Heroes Co., Ltd. exhibited a disaster prevention education experience built inside Fortnite at the International Festival held at Osaka YMCA International School. Children from multicultural backgrounds played through gamified survival missions with scoring, drawing praise from parents who noted the depth of knowledge covered. The company plans to expand the program to schools and local governments.
Epic Games released a new trailer for Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3: Runner during Summer Game Fest 2026. The season starts today, June 6, and includes a Battle Pass skin called HEATWAVE PJ as well as a collaboration with the John Wick franchise.
DELTA ESPORTS player LBworks has secured a spot in the Grand Finals of the Fortnite world championship FNCS Major 1 Summit, held in Düsseldorf, Germany. On May 29, 2026, Day 1 of the Upper Bracket saw 50 teams from around the world compete across six matches. LBworks finished 12th overall, earning one of the 25 Grand Finals slots without needing to go through the Lower Bracket. The Grand Finals will take place on June 1, 2026, with 50 teams total from both brackets. The tournament has a total prize pool of $1.3 million, with $250,000 going to the winner. DELTA ESPORTS operates under the motto "FROM JAPAN TO THE WORLD" and focuses on competitive play, youth development, and educational partnerships. Team representative Kaito Funabiki praised LBworks for the achievement and said the team will continue to fight in the finals.