Fortnite update 15.40: Patch notes, Flint Knock pistol, more exotic weapons

Fortnite characters battle in Air Royale LTM over update 15.40 patch notes.Epic Games

The next Fortnite Season 5 update, patch v15.40, has finally arrived. Here are all the juicy details, including patch notes, for the update that’s already being dubbed “the most amazing thing ever.”

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This patch has had an air of excitement around it since late last week, when Japanese content creator Urara leaked it would be “messy” and “the most amazing thing ever.” The YouTuber, who boasts over a million followers, also tipped Feb. 16 as its upcoming release date — turns out, he was right on the money.

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Epic has teased an “unvaulted favorite” set to return alongside new Exotics, two new LTMs — including a popular returning Fortnite mode — and more. There’s also a bundle of bug fixes included in the update, as per usual.

Here’s everything we know about update 15.40, starting with all the details on Fortnite’s impending patch downtime, and the February 16 patch notes.

Popular Fortnite game mode "Floor is Lava" is returning in the 15.40 update.Epic Games
Popular Fortnite game mode “Floor is Lava” is returning in the 15.40 update.

When is the Fortnite v15.40 patch coming?

Fortnite’s v15.40 patch update arrived on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at 4 AM ET, with downtime expected to last for quite a while as the new additions are fully incorporated.

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The PS4 update size is 2.5GB, the PS5 update size is 2.5GB, the Xbox One update size is 3.2GB, the Xbox One Series X update size is 2.3GB, and the Nintendo Switch update size is 3GB. The size on PC varies, but will be around 1.58GB.

Limited Time Modes: Air Royale & Floor is Lava

Fortnite’s latest patch is set to bring back two of the most popular LTMs, “Floor is Lava” and “Air Royale.”

Floor is Lava was a huge hit when it was added a couple of years ago. The rules are simple. Lava gradually rises from the lowest parts of the map and players need to scurry around to secure themselves onto the high ground.

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Air Royale was another popular mode that allows players to live their dream as a Top Gun pilot. It revolves around players fighting in planes, and if they come in contact with the ground, they’ll die instantly.

"Become an ace pilot again in Fortnite's returning "AirEpic Games
Become an ace pilot again in Fortnite’s returning “Air Royale” playlist.

Fortnite brings back the Flint Knock

Epic teased the return of an “unvaulted favorite” set to return in patch v15.40, and we now know that the weapon in question is the Flint Knock pistol.

It uses heavy bullets, deals 86 damage in its common variation, and has a headshot multiplier of x2.0. The weapon has a reload time of 3.2 and a fire rate of 0.33.

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Alongside the unvaulted weapon, Epic is also adding “more Exotics in stock for allies (and enemies)” to collect throughout the game, meaning there will be even more stock for players to purchase and cause chaos.

Epic has teased Fortnite players will "blast back" with new unvaulted fave.Epic Games
Epic has teased Fortnite players will “blast back” with unvaulted fave in v15.40.

New hunter portals added

The theme of Season 5 has been bounty hunters, with several new skins added throughout including Predator and Halo’s Master Chief. It’s been revealed that two new portals have been added.

The first is being referred to as Skirmish, which is a male and female set, and the second is called Kepler, which is a male skin only. There’s no clues as to who they’ll be, but many are hoping the male and female set will be Wanda and Vision from Disney+ seriesWandaVision.

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According to leaker ShiinaBR, there are currently three encrypted sets, with two of them being the new hunter sets. The codenames for these are BikeCatch, ToneTrip, and AcutePanic, which could be hints.

Fortnite 15.40 bug fixes

As usual, the Fortnite dev team will also ship a few bug fixes, as documented on the official Trello board. This patch only has a few solved issues, including for the battle royale, Save the World, and Creative mode.

Here is the full list of bug fixes coming in v15.40:

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General

  • Total Bars appearing as “0” in a match.
  • Purple XP Coins disappearing when driven through (without granting XP).
  • Matchmaking doesn’t start if unreadied player leaves early.

Creative Mode

  • Phone Booths do not respect island settings when players change Outfits.

Save the World

  • Mythic Lead Survivor portraits appear only as silhouettes.
  • Locating a Durrr Burger not counting towards the “Locating: Burger Break!” Ventures quest.

So, there you have it; all the patch notes & planned changes for Fortnite’s fourth Season 5 update. Once the official v15.40 details are released and added to the battle royale, we’ll be the first to let you know.