Fortnite has confirmed it will be launching a full Star Wars-inspired season next month.
The long-running battle royale game originally went live in 2017 and has become one of the most popular online games around, thanks to a number of high-profile collaborations. In recent months, Fortnite has included special events inspired by everything from Sabrina Carpenter to Adventure Time but in May, the game will be hosting a huge Star Wars event.
Fortnite: Galactic Battle is set to go live on May 2 and will include five, week-long events.
According to an official blog on the Star Wars website, Fortnite: Galactic Battle will include the ability to pilot and co-pilot X-wings and TIE fighters as well as themed map locations. Mace Windu will be added to the Fortnite shop while a Star Wars-themed battle pass will also be available, “featuring iconic characters like Emperor Palpatine and mashups like Wookiee Cuddle Team Leader“.
The event was announced at Star Wars Celebration in Japan over the weekend, with Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best appearing onstage to unveil a teaser trailer featuring Darth Jar Jar.
“That’s right. Long time fan-favorite Darth Jar Jar will soon be making his way into the world of Fortnite, Sith lightning crackling from those long Gungan fingers,” reads the blog.
Fortnite: Galactic Battle will go live May 2 with the Imperial Takeover event. It will be followed on May 8 by The Pull Of The Force while Mandalorian Rising will take place from May 22. Star Destroyer Bombardment (May 29) and Death Star Sabotage (June 7) will then “lead up to an in-game narrative live event that will surely have players feeling like they’ve got the fate of the whole galaxy in their hands.”
“I’m genuinely so hyped for this,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “I was expecting it to just be a quick cash grab with some outposts and Imperial/Rebel decor slapped across the map along with the usual unvaults but now I’m honestly excited since it looks like they actually cared,” added another. “Mesa so excited,” said a third.
During Star Wars Celebration, it was also confirmed Ryan Gosling will appear in Starfighter, a new Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. The standalone movie is set five years after the events of 2019’s The Rise Of Skywalker and will be released May 28, 2027.
Fortnite boss Tim Sweeney has denied reports that a movie adaptation of the hit game is in the works, despite the success of A Minecraft Movie.
In other news, the latest showcase for Mario Kart World has excited fans wanting Nintendo to “raise the price” following controversy over the company’s new “variable” pricing strategy for the Switch 2.