Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 patch notes: Weapon mods, Peter Griffin skin, Battle Pass & more

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 is finally here and it boasts a plethora of exciting new features for players to experience. As the Big Bang live event and the launch trailer already revealed some additions, here are the patch notes for the update.

After a month filled with nostalgia and a player count that broke records, Fortnite Season OG has at last concluded. Moreover, the Big Bang live event smashed Twitch viewership records and revealed three new game modes coming soon to the game.

As the official launch trailer for Chapter 5 Season 1 had already been released prior to the live event, it provided players with an early look at the gameplay. The trailer also debunked and confirmed multiple leaks regarding the features in the upcoming season that have been circulating on social media for some time.

As you the wait finally ends before you jump in the game, read on the Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 patch notes to learn what’s in store.

Epic Games

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 downtime details

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 was released on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 3 AM PT/ 6 AM ET / 10 AM GMT.

Servers are slowly going live in different regions and platforms, so you should be able to jump back in soon!

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 patch notes

New map adds 11 new POIs

The brand new island has been revealed for Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1. This time around there are 11 new POIs that are added to the map, across four different biomes.

Here are all the names of the locations where you’ll be dropping with your squad this season – Rebel’s Roost, Lavish Lair, Classy Courts, Ritzy Riviera, Ruined Reels, Reckless Railways, Grand Glacier, Pleasant Piazza, Fencing Fields, Hazy Hillside and Snooty Steppes.

Moreover, railway tracks have also been added to the map towards the center that connects most POIs around the area.

Moving train now roams the island

A moving train has now been added to the Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 map, allowing players to board it. Using the ‘Capture the Train‘ objective, players can ride a train that traverses the island while capturing loot and eliminating foes.

Additionally, you have the capability to engage in combat and leap between train carriages. The tracks of the train begins from the Reckless Railways POIs and connects several POIs towards the center of the map.

Customize your loadout with Weapon mods

Customize your loadout in Fortnite now has a whole new meaning. Located in vaults are Mod Benches, which have mods available for many weapons in exchange for Bars.

Add mods that reduce recoil, increase mag capacity, change optic and more. Save up your Bars wisely, though, as not every mod works with every weapon. You don’t need a Mod Bench to wield a modded weapon.

Most mod-compatible weapons are already modded. If it’s of Uncommon rarity, it’ll already have one mod. If it’s of Rare rarity, it’ll have two mods. Epic rarity, three mods. And Legendary, four.

If you want different mods than the ones that came with your weapon, you can still replace them at Mod Benches in exchange for Bars. Experiment with different combos to see what’s best for you. However, Mod-compatible weapons aren’t for sale from Characters or Vending Machines, so keep your eyes peeled for loot.

Wall Climbing and other movement mechanics

Wall Climbing mechanics for Fortnite, which had been repeatedly leaked, were eventually unveiled in the launch trailer for Chapter 5 Season 1. Regardless of the presence of a ledge, this enables players to run towards and scale walls and other towering structures.

Additionally, Hurdling, which was disabled in Chapter 4 Season 1, has made its triumphant return to the game with an enhanced animation.

Big Bang Battle Pass with Peter Griffin, Solid Snake & more

The Battle Pass for Chapter 5 Season 1, brings Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) and Peter Griffin (Family Guy) to Fortnite. Furthermore, Peter now has a Swole appearance and brings other cosmetic items themed after the hit TV show.

Additional Battle Pass outfits features new characters named Oscar, Vengeance Jones, Nisha, Montague, and Valeria. An easter egg in the launch trailer also hints at a forthcoming collaboration with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Chapter 5.

Grapple Blade, new weapons and consumables

A new Grapple Blade item, which functions identically to a grappler, where it draws players to their intended location and propels them towards it, has now been added. However, the new item also features a close-ranged attack in which an adjacent opponent is eliminated by spinning the blade.

In addition, eight new weapons are introduced in Chapter 5 Season 1 along with a Cluster Clinger throwable explosive. Further more, a Ballistic Shield item has also been added to the game, which includes a pistol to help you defend yourself.

You can use the the shield while shooting the pistol at the same time. The Ballistic Shield has infinite Health, but it can only withstand so much damage before it’ll temporarily be knocked from in front of you

As is customary with each new season, a new consumable item called FlowBerry has also been added. It will recover a bit of your and your nearby teammates’ Shield.

FlowBerries are best eaten before a jump, as they also grant you and your nearby teammates a temporary low-gravity effect (with fall damage immunity). Moreover, significant changes have now been made to the consumable items like Med Kits and Shield Potions.

Both restore the same amount of stats as before, but the way they do it is different. They now start restoring immediately, and you can now move slowly while they restore. However, you won’t be able to cancel once you start restoring with these items, so use them wisely.

Cars locker, SUV and more

The new season brings a new way to build and customize your own car to ride around the Battle Royale island. Starting off, a new SUV called Grandeur Trailsmasher has been added to the island for you to take on a spin.

Epic Games

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 brings a new locker for Cars.

Additionally, as a Battle Pass reward, players will be able to unlock a Scorpion car body and its decals to modify the vehicle before you take it for a ride around the map. Moreover, players will now be able to use Rocket League vehicles in Fortnite along with their decals, given they’re using the same Epic Games account to play Fortnite.

A new feature this time around is Cars, which is a new section in players’ Lockers. Cars are built with three new types of Locker items: Car Bodies, Decals, and Wheels. All players have been granted the OEM Wheels from Rocket League in their Locker with the update.

Enter a Sports Car in Fortnite Battle Royale or an applicable creator-made island, then watch it turn into your equipped Car. The Sports Car will keep the look of your equipped Car the entire match, even if you exit it and someone else enters it.

New augments

After a month long absence, Augments make a triumphant return to Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1. The new season will add 27 new Reality Augments to the game, each of which perfectly ties in with the items and features introduced.

Check out our full list of Reality Augments and how to use them right here.

Earn Society Medallions by defeating bosses

Across the Island are five bosses: Oscar, Nisha, Montague, Valeria, and also Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Each boss will drop a Society Medallion once defeated. Keep a Medallion in your inventory for your Shield to regenerate over time. The more Society Medallions in your inventory, the more Shield that will regenerate with each tick.

You can’t get to the top without making enemies on the way – if you have a Society Medallion in your inventory, you’ll be marked on opponents’ map, and the more Medallions you have, the more precise the radius of your exact location.

Match Quests and new Reboot system

At the beginning of each match, you’ll be presented a choice of three Match Quests that expire at the end of the match. Match Quests replace Daily Quests to give you the ability to pursue what you want to accomplish while having less distractions in battle.

Match Quests are personal to each player, and squadmates cannot contribute to their progress. You will have Bonus Goals that reset each day to reward you additional XP for completing Match Quests.

Furthermore, Reboot Vans have received a new feature where if you’re reviving a teammate and accidentally move out of range, the revive timer will slowly go down instead of hard reset. Rebooting works the same way, however the reboot timer will slowly go down if you move out of range, not hard reset.

Also, only one squad can use each Reboot Van at a time. If a squad eliminates or scares away the current squad, they can continue the current reboot timer to quickly reboot their teammate.

LEGO Mode, Rocket Racing and Festival Game modes

As seen in the Big Bang live event, Chapter 5 Season 1 introduces three new game modes, one of which is a direct collaboration with LEGO. The LEGO mode, in which players will have the ability to customize their own characters into their LEGO versions and navigate an open survival world, has been among the most anticipated additions to Chapter 5.

Epic Games

Fortnite Chapter 5 brings three new game modes.

In addition, a new Rocket Racing mode has also been added, allowing players to drive their Rocket League vehicles and compete in competitive races around a track.

Lastly, players will be able to play a music themed mode known as Festival, wherein they will be required to coordinate button presses with the rhythmic patterns of tracks by Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, and other notable artists, starting off with The Weeknd, who will perform at launch of the game mode.

Miscellaneous updates

While the core features were added and removed from Fortnite, several miscellaneous updates were also made in Chapter 5 Season 1. They are:

• Enhanced animations and element physics.
• Motion Matching and Procedural Layering added to all platforms.
• New tournaments added in Competitive mode.
• Trailsmashers, Sports Cars and Cluster Clingers can’t be used in Competitive playlists.

That’s everything you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 update! Make sure you check out our Fortnite page for the latest news and guides.