The next downtime period for Fortnite is coming with the update v29.01. As Epic Games announced today, the first post-launch patch for Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2 is set to go live soon, but before this patch can take effect, Epic will have to make the game inaccessible for a period of time that's currently not determined.
Over on social media, Epic Games reminded players that the popular multi-platform battle royale game will have a downtime beginning at 4:00am ET/1:00am PT on March 19. During this downtime, the main menu of Fortnite will not be accessible, making all other modes (Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival, LEGO Fortnite, etc.) outside of the main Battle Royale and Zero Build unplayable. Epic also noted that matchmaking for new games will be disabled few minutes prior to this downtime period.
This week's update is expected to feature the return of one of the most iconic Fortnite characters, Midas. Although there has been speculation that the fan-favorite character died in a Loot Shark attack when Chapter 2 Season 3 launched, Midas is ascending from The Underworld to make an epic comeback in the game.
When will Ascendant Midas be available in Fortnite?
Midas is expected to return to Fortnite as Ascendant Midas. Dataminers revealed that he will ascend from The Underworld where he has been trapped, and it's likely that gamers will be able to find him inside The Marigold once he's back, and he will surely want to go back to his yacht. To find The Marigold, Fortnite players must visit the western coast of the island, near Coastal Columns and Charon's Crossing.
According to leakers, Ascendant Midas will be available as an NPC in the game at first, and players will be able to take him down to acquire the Mythic-rarity Drum Gun. Ascendant Midas is expected to become available in the Item Shop at a later date, but it's still unclear if he will be a featured skin or as part of the Special Offers & Bundles sections so players can acquire him with real money.
What to Expect From Fortnite Update v29.01
Update v29.01 will be the first post-launch update of Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 2, and it will add a bunch of new content to the game. The fan-favorite limited-time mode, The Floor is Lava, will return to the game, and since Midas will be the one introducing it, players can complete quests in this mode to acquire themed rewards, such as the Gilded Vengeance harvesting tool.
The previously-announced Gold Chicken will also be featured in the Battle Royale map, and players will be able to received gold bars by eliminating this creature. While gamers can get the standard Drum Gun as floor loot and by searching containers, the Mythic version of the Drum Gun will be the reward for defeating Midas. The return of Midas will impact vending machines, and some will have upgrade services that can turn weapons into gold (Legendary-rarity).
Fortnite update v29.01 is set to launch on Tuesday, March 19. Don't expect the downtime to be as long as the launch of Chapter 5 Season 2 since patches of this nature are far smaller than new seasonal updates, so it's likely that Fortnite will only be down for a period of a couple of hours at the most.
