28 November 2025

Fortnite Chapter 7 Is Changing the Way You Drop Into the Map

By newsgame

Leaks have hinted towards the possibility of Fortnite players being unable to precisely plan where they want to land upon leaving the Battle Bus, which has worried players in the competitive scene. Even though it is only seen in the first portion of the game, before the match even begins, the Battle Bus is a key element in Fortnite. It is the Battle Bus that sets the game in motion, and every player has to interact with it in order to drop onto the island.

While most features in Fortnite have been modified over the last few years, the Battle Bus has more or less stayed the same. Epic Games has altered its appearance for seasonal events and special occasions, but these changes were purely cosmetic. Back in Chapter 1, a patch made it so players could thank the bus drivers before hopping off if they pressed the emote button. The “thank the bus driver” option was mostly introduced as a fun addition to the elimination feed at the start of the game, but it is also a Milestone Quest each season, meaning players receive XP for continuously doing it every match.

Fortnite Simpsons Season ends later than previously scheduled

Fortnite Changes Battle Pass End Time

The Simpsons mini-season is no longer scheduled to end at 2:30 AM on November 29, which might change fans’ plans for the start of Chapter 7.

Fortnite Rumors Suggest Battle Bus Could Change

It appears that the Battle Bus will no longer be an intact part of Fortnite; a recent leak suggests that in Chapter 7, it will receive a major update that will greatly modify how this mechanic works. According to NotPaloLeaks, the way that players jump onto the map will work differently, and they won’t always be able to reach everywhere on the island. It is currently unknown how the leaker got the information, but it is possible that they got exclusive intel from one of the content creators who was invited by Epic to try out Chapter 7 early. Players have to wait until The Simpsons mini-season ends so they can finally get their hands on the next chapter of Fortnite and check out these changes for themselves.

When Does Fortnite Chapter 7 Start?

November 29, 2025, sometime after 2 PM ET

Regardless of how they received the information, the community has already begun to speculate on what it could mean. There are rumors that the Storm will have a different shape in the next chapter, so it is entirely possible that the Battle Bus route won’t be a straight line anymore as well. Players have gotten used to the way the Battle Bus has worked for the past eight years, so this monumental change will definitely be difficult to get used to.

Fortnite Party Up Winter Rush Screenshot 3

While it may not sound like much at first, this will greatly impact the early game in Fortnite. Players who have a go-to landing location in Fortnite might not always be able to land there. It forces players to explore other parts of the island and maybe even find a new favorite, but it might feel like a nuisance if they would just prefer to go to their regular spot where they feel comfortable, rather than visit a place they’re not as familiar with. Additionally, competitive players who sometimes have rigorous strategies that rely on being able to land on a specific location will have to come up with alternatives.

It seems like Chapter 7 will bring major changes to Fortnite, and some of them will affect how key mechanics that gamers have known for years work. Leaks and rumors circulating the community indicate that players can expect changes to affect the running animation and overall movement, the UI, the reboot system, and boss NPCs, as they might be replaced by human players. Downtime for Chapter 7 is expected to begin right after the Zero Hour live event ends. Servers will be shut down for a few hours, but once they’re back up, players will finally be able to log in and experience Chapter 7 for themselves.