Get ready to dive back into the frosty chaos of Fortnite OG’s Season 7 update, where the map transforms under a blanket of snow with new POIs like Polar Peak and Frosty Flights, while iconic locations like Greasy Grove and Flush Factory vanish beneath the ice. Alongside these chilling changes, the weapon loot pool has been shaken up-classic favorites like the pump shotgun return with revamped stats, silenced SMGs get a boost in prevalence, and damage drop-off mechanics make a comeback, promising a fresh yet nostalgic battle royale experience across all platforms.
The month-long season started all the way back in the bygone era of 2018 with Chapter 1 Season 5 and continues this week by bringing back to Chapter 1 Seasons 7 and 8. This season’s weekly updates will a tour through the latter half of Season 1, with the updates each Thursday unvaulting new (old) weapons and vehicles from the past.
Let’s talk about everything new (well, everything old that’s new again) in Fortnite OG’s Week 3 update.
Fortnite OG map changes for the Season 7 update
The Fortnite OG map changes for the Season 7 update bring back the original 2017 map layout from Chapter 1 Season 1, featuring classic points of interest like Anarchy Acres, Dusty Depot, Fatal Fields, Flush Factory, Greasy Grove, and more. While the map remains largely true to its original state, new elements such as ziplines and ascenders have been added to enhance mobility, especially for Zero Build players. This nostalgic map revival is part of the dedicated Fortnite OG mode launched in December 2024, allowing players to experience the iconic locations and gameplay style from Fortnite’s early days with a few modern twists.
The Fortnite map continues to be modeled on the Chapter 1 map, this time around Seasons 7 and 8.
There’s a big change this week with the return of the Frostly Flights POI in the southwest of the island. No other POIs from Season 7 returned, though.
Fortnite OG weapon loot pool for the Season 7 update
The Fortnite OG weapon loot pool for the Season 7 update sees a nostalgic return of many classic weapons and items, alongside some new additions. Key weapons like the Six Shooter, Double Barrel Shotgun, Clinger Grenades, and Heavy Assault Rifle have been unvaulted, bringing back the western-themed combat style. Several traversal items such as Grapple Gloves (found via rift encounters), Bounce Pads, Shockwave Grenades, Quad Crashers, and Driftboards have also rejoined the loot pool, enhancing mobility options. Meanwhile, some items like the Burst Assault Rifle, Impulse Grenades, Smoke Bombs, and Port-a-Fort have been vaulted to make way for these changes. This update aims to recreate the feel of Chapter 1 Season 6 while introducing new gameplay dynamics through these weapon and item adjustments.
As Fortnite OG continues through its accelerated season, a third round of weapons have been unvaulted for Fortnite OG Chapter 4 Season 7.
- Flint-Knock Pistol
- Minigun
- Quad Launcher
- Drum Gun
- Tactical Submachine Gun
- Combat Shotgun
There’s also the return of equipment like:
- Poison Dart Trap
- Itemized Glider Redeploy
- Buried Treasure
- Balloons
What has been vaulted in Fortnite OG Season 7?
In Fortnite OG Season 7, several items have been vaulted, meaning they are no longer available in the current loot pool. Notably, the Burst Assault Rifle, Impulse Grenades, Smoke Grenades, and Port-a-Fort have been removed from the game. Additionally, all Revolvers and the Harpoon Gun have been vaulted. These vaultings make room for new and returning items such as the Grapple Glove, Bounce Pads, Shockwave Grenades, Double Barrel Shotgun, and Six Shooter, among others, enhancing traversal and combat options. This rotation helps maintain a dynamic and balanced gameplay experience by cycling out older weapons and introducing fresh content.
Sadly, we’re also saying goodbye to some weapons and items out of the loot pool for Season 7. Some of the items that have been (re)vaulted include:
- Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
- Double Barrel Shotgun
- Light Machine Gun
- Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle
- Six Shooter
- Suppressed Pistol
- Suppressed Submachine Gun
Fortnite OG vehicles for the Season 7 update
In Fortnite OG’s Season 7 update, several iconic vehicles from earlier seasons have made a return, enhancing player mobility and combat options. Notably, the Driftboard and Quadcrasher are back, offering fast and stylish ways to traverse the map, especially useful in the newly introduced snowy biome around Frosty Flights. Additionally, classic aerial vehicles like the X-4 Stormwing plane and Pirate Cannon have reappeared, allowing for dynamic air assaults and squad-based strategies. These OG vehicles complement the nostalgic feel of the update while providing fresh tactical opportunities for players.
Season 7’s vehicles out of the vault are:
- X-4 Stormwing planes
- Pirate Cannons
How do the new map changes in Fortnite Season 7 affect gameplay strategies
The new map changes in Fortnite Season 7 significantly shift gameplay strategies by introducing a larger, snow-covered arctic biome with new points of interest like Polar Peak, Frosty Flights, and Happy Hamlet, replacing older locations such as Flush Factory and Greasy Grove. The addition of Stormwing planes and widespread ziplines alters mobility dynamics, enabling faster traversal and aerial combat, which encourages players to adapt by mastering flying and using vertical movement to their advantage. The map’s expansion and new terrain features also affect landing spots and loot routes, requiring players to rethink drop strategies and engagement zones.
In the alien-themed Season 7 update of Chapter 2, the destruction of The Spire and its replacement with The Aftermath crater introduces new combat environments with alien vegetation and landmarks, influencing cover and sightlines. Alien patrols and parasites introduce new threats and tactical considerations, as players must manage health-draining parasites that can be removed only by teammates or water, adding a cooperative element to encounters. The availability of UFOs that players can pilot adds a novel aerial combat layer, encouraging players to control these vehicles for offensive and mobility advantages. Overall, these map changes require players to balance ground combat with new aerial and cooperative mechanics, reshaping traditional strategies around positioning, movement, and resource control.
How will the addition of planes and ziplines change combat tactics in Season 7
The addition of planes and ziplines in Fortnite Season 7 revolutionizes combat tactics by introducing new verticality and mobility options. Players can now engage in aerial dogfights using the X-4 Stormwing planes, which seat up to five players and come equipped with mounted machine guns, allowing for dynamic mid-air battles and rapid repositioning across the expanded map. Mastery of flying maneuvers such as sharp turns and barrel rolls becomes crucial for survival and offense. Meanwhile, ziplines scattered across mountainous terrain enable swift movement up and down elevations while still allowing players to use weapons, facilitating quick escapes, surprise attacks, and rapid rotations between hotspots. Together, these features encourage more aggressive, fast-paced engagements and strategic use of height and speed, fundamentally changing how players approach both traversal and combat encounters.
