Fortnite leak showcases first images of crashed Imagined Order Airships

The war on the island has escalated in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2. With The Seven pushing back the Imagined Order, it's only a matter of time before battle lines are redrawn. But given how stubborn the IO is, fighting them and conquering POIs is not going to be enough.

To truly push them back and secure strategic locations, their air support must be rendered useless. Unfortunately, the only way to do this is by destroying the airships that are currently moored over certain POIs. Although these airships provide strategic high ground, downing them will be a necessary evil.

Based on the new assets that were uncovered by a Fortnite leaker known as zatheo_, the first airship is about to crash very soon. With The Seven's ground troops already assaulting The Daily Bugle, the airship stationed over the POI will likely be the first one to go.

Keeping true to their promise to destroy the Imagined Order, it can be seen that once the airships crash, they will become unusable. However, given their large size, they will definitely become landmarks for Loopers to explore. While the loot may not be that great, it should be enough for the early game.

That being said, there are a total of six Imagined Order Airships currently on the island. However, the Resistance will likely only be able to bring down five of them as the one stationed at Command Cavern is well guarded. It may either be destroyed towards the end of Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 or will carry over to the next season.

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Will the destruction of the airships affect the gameplay experience in Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2?

Even though airships are part of the enemy forces, they play a vital role in early-game rotation and area control. Loopers who manage to land on an airship first can effectively lock down the surrounding area with ease. This will allow them to deny loot to their opponents and secure kills thanks to superior shooting angles.

In addition to area control, the siege cannons on top of the airship allow Loopers to rotate to far distances with ease. While siege cannons on the ground are equally useful due to their high advantage, using those on the airship is more beneficial. Once all airships have been destroyed, Loopers will be missing out on these benefits.

Nevertheless, given that airships are part of the storyline, they must be destroyed at whatever cost. That being said, Loopers will have a few more weeks in hand to make the most of the airships before bidding farewell. It'll be interesting to see how the early-game dynamics change once this natural high ground is taken out of the equation.

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Will any other Imagined Order structures be destroyed during the war?

Aside from airships, the Resistance in Fortnite is already destroying IO Outposts that are located on the island. They serve as a natural high ground, allowing enemy forces to survey the battlefield. However, on the other side of the spectrum, Loopers can use them to snipe opponents with ease.

As of now, one Outpost codenamed Omega has been destroyed. It's located directly east of Logjam Lumberyard. However, it's puzzling why The Seven chose to destroy this Outpost first rather than targeting 'Dash,' 'Epsilon,' or 'Raven,' which are located closer to the Sanctuary.

Perhaps this was done as a show of force, or maybe the destruction follows some unknown pattern. Either way, all five Imagined Order Outposts present on the island will either be destroyed or captured by week six. It's now left to be seen if and how the IO survives the onslaught and makes it to Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 3.