New Fortnite live event Blast Off pays tribute to the past in a fantastic way

It’s commonplace to tune in for a Fortnite live event these days, but there was a time, believe it or not, when they didn’t exist in-game. As a new chapter dawns in Epic Games’ hit multiplayer game, the Fortnite Blast Off event promises dazzling spectacle and exciting things ahead. However, the significance of this rocket launch is bigger than you may think.

The Fortnite Blast Off commences at 11am PDT, 2pm EDT, and 7pm BST on Saturday, July 26, 2025, but before you take your seat to see history unfold, does any of it seem familiar? In 2018, Chapter 4’s arrival marked a huge moment for Fortnite, as it was the first seasonal update to introduce lore, cinematics, and characters such as The Visitor. Donald Mustard, the co-creator of the battle royale game, voiced this mysterious character, who Fortnite later revealed was part of the heroic group The Seven.

During the original event, The Visitor’s rocket launch would ascend into the skies on June 30, 2018, creating the famous Crack in the Sky that remained in place until midway through Season 5. This is where the idea of alternate realities begins to appear in-game, changing the fabric of Fortnite’s lore forever. From John Wick to Sue Storm, this event is a huge reason why we have all the excellent Fortnite skins we have today.

Now, Fortnite OG is paying homage to this monumental time in the game’s history, and some multiverse shenanigans are likely at play, too. We expect Epic Games to recreate the original elements of the event to an extent, but Fortnite OG is a different beast from Zero Build or Blitz Royale. While the bulk of the free Switch game‘s latest season is centered on superheroes, Fortnite OG’s story focuses on nostalgia, taking players back to familiar POIs.

That means you can expect major changes to the Fortnite map, so say goodbye to any POIs you’ve fallen in love with again. As you can expect, heaps of players will be dropping in for a glimpse of the event. We recommend joining a Fortnite OG match a few minutes before it commences and sticking to the outskirts of the map. Once the event concludes, downtime may begin, so don’t be alarmed if you can’t play Fortnite OG for a few hours before Epic rolls out a new patch.

Beyond the Blast Off event, Fortnite’s getting up to all sorts of bizarre things right now. There’s a One Battle After Another crossover coming – yes, the new movie from Punch Drunk Love filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. If that wasn’t exciting enough, new Fortnite mythic collaborations are in the works to surpass Superman’s powers. However, none of this will be appearing for iPhone players anytime soon, at least in some parts of the world.

For more of the latest mobile hardware and gaming news, whether you’re claiming Fortnite codes, diving into the best Steam Deck games, or the best Switch games, follow us on Google News to stay in the loop. Or, if you’re more of a console gamer, check out our Nintendo Switch 2 review.