The Fortnite update v23.40 will go live today (February 14, 2023). As is custom, game servers will be taken offline by 3:30 am Eastern Time to allow the developers to implement changes in-game. Thirty minutes after this happens, the update will begin at 4:00 am Eastern Time.
For those who play into the wee hours of the morning, it would be wise to log off before the servers are taken offline. While those in BR mode can stay until the very end without any repercussions, Save The World players need to be a bit more careful. If the session ends without completing the mission, progress will be lost.
How long will the Fortnite downtime last today (February 14)?
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Taking into account that the v23.30 update took roughly two hours to implement, the same can be expected today. However, the downtime for the Fortnite update v23.40 could easily last an upward of five-plus hours.
With a brand new system/mechanic being added to the game, the developers will have to ensure that the content being added in works flawlessly before switching the servers back on.
Fixes and content changes for Fortnite v23.40 patch
While the "Most Wanted" posters that popped up around the island were supposedly hinting at the theme of Chapter 4 Season 2, things have turned out differently.
It seems that this will now be a brand new system/mechanic being added to the game that's very similar to the "Reduce Heat" feature in GTA 5. However, it's still not clear how things will function in-game
That said, based on the words used by the developers in their tweet regarding the update, players will be able to "break open the vault." At the moment, this could mean one of two things:
- The new system/mechanic will re-introduce vaults in some manner.
- The new system/mechanic will allow players to remove a mark placed on them while undertaking a special challenge/quest related to vaults.
On that note, it's not known which "vault" is being referred to here. With Chapter 4 Season 1 being medieval-themed, there are no high-tech vaults on the island. In fact, there are no banks as well. It will be interesting to see what the developers have planned.
Moving on, as mentioned by the leakers, other content that's coming to Fortnite following the update v23.40 will include new Reality Augments, March Crew Pack (encrypted), and perhaps the Boombox Guitar. While the former two are self explanatory, the latter is unique in design and will function as a potent build-destroying weapon.
New cosmetics and weekly challenges will also be added to the game. Regarding cosmetics, a new Level-Up Pack may potentially get added in as well. Lastly, based on the information obtained from the official Trello Board, numerous bug fixes will be implemented in the game during the update v23.40.
Some of these fixes will address cosmetic issues, while others will focus on gameplay elements.