The in-game television sets found throughout the Fortnite Battle Royale map have begun broadcasting a countdown time under a “weather warning.”
The countdown began at precisely 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on January 17 and was set for exactly two days, which means that it will hit zero at that same exact time on January 18.
This comes a day after the TV screens began showing a warning of inclement weather on January 16, but there was no timer or any other information that hinted at what it was all for.
So what is this all for? Although Epic Games have not officially announced it, all indications are that a brand new Ice Storm in-game event is set to take place when the countdown reaches zero.
According to game files found and leaked by data miners, Ice Storm will features its own unique set of challenges and rewards, as well as some more snowy changes to the map.
Those same leaks also indicate that this countdown screen will not be the final thing shown on the in-game TV sets in relation to the Ice Storm.
There will be one more screen which will feature the words “No Signal” over a backdrop of the Ice King’s shadow. This will presumably begin showing once the countdown reaches zero and the Ice Storm actually does begin.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
So what does this all mean? Well, no one can know for sure, but all of this seems to be building towards some major storyline in Fortnite.
Many believe that the Ice Storm is closely tied with the mysterious ice sphere floating above Polar Peak, as well as the Dragon Eggs found in the dungeons of the nearby castle.
New leaks have revealed that the sphere will begin taking different forms soon, one of which will include flaring blue flames and the ominous Ice King character appearing inside the sphere.
Video explains itself
No hacking to the game itself was done to achieve this, no competitive advantage was gained.
This does not violate the Fortnite/Epic Games TOS in anyway that i know of.
Method used via @AyeTSG pic.twitter.com/rQ6wicZ8rR
— Lucas7yoshi_ // Fortnite News & Leaks (@lucas7yoshi_) January 15, 2019
This leaves the door open for a lot to take place once this mysterious countdown does reach zero, such as the sphere reaching its next stage, the Ice Storm event kicking off, the TV screens displaying the No Signal warning, and more.
Whatever does end up happening, this countdown has certainly built up the hype for what’s to come, and seasoned players will remember a similar countdown taking place during Season 4 that ultimately led to the one-time Rocket Launch event that took place.
