When Fortnite launched its Battle Royale mode in September 2017, it began not only a revolution in live-service gaming but also a new kind of storytelling—one told through changing maps, live events, and shifting loot pools.
Chapter 1, which stretched across ten seasons, built the foundations of Fortnite’s ongoing saga: Kevin the Cube, the Visitor and his rocket, the Ice King’s blizzard, the Mecha vs. Monster showdown, and finally, the Black Hole that consumed the island.
But alongside the story was the evolving loot pool—weapons, items, vehicles, and consumables that defined how players fought and strategized each season. Below is a comprehensive season-by-season history of both the story beats and the loot pools that shaped Chapter 1.
Season 1: The Beginning (Sept – Dec 2017)
Story:
Fortnite Battle Royale launched with no lore, just 100 players and an island. Still, the seeds of story existed in its map locations—places like Retail Row and Fatal Fields that would later become iconic.
Loot Pool:
- Core Weapons: Assault Rifle, Pump Shotgun, Tactical Shotgun, Burst AR, SMG, Revolver, Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle.
- Healing: Bandages, Medkits, Small Shields, Big Shields.
- Traps & Mobility: Launch Pads, Spike Traps, Jump Pads.
- Early meta was shotgun-heavy. Double-barreled close-range fights dominated due to limited long-range options.
Season 2: Medieval (Dec 2017 – Feb 2018)
Story:
The first true Battle Pass introduced a medieval theme: knights, banners, and castles. Lore still wasn’t in play yet, but Fortnite found its footing in seasonal identity.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Boogie Bomb (forces enemies to dance helplessly).
- Crossbow (infinite ammo but weak damage).
- Meta: Shotguns still ruled. ARs lacked precision compared to what came later. Explosives and traps were highly effective against builds.
Season 3: Space & The Meteor (Feb – Apr 2018)
Story:
A meteor appeared in the sky—getting closer each week. Tilted Towers’ fate seemed sealed. This was Fortnite’s first real long-form story setup.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Hunting Rifle (quick-scope weapon bridging sniper/AR).
- Guided Missile (overpowered, then vaulted quickly).
- C4 Remote Explosives added anti-build tactics.
- Meta: “Double Pump” shotgun strategy dominated. Close-range fights were lightning-fast, with ARs for cleanup and RPGs for structures.
Season 4: Superheroes & The Visitor (May – July 2018)
Story:
The meteor struck, destroying Dusty Depot and creating Dusty Divot. From it emerged The Visitor, who launched the first rocket and ripped rifts into the sky.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Drum Gun (versatile, reliable, beloved).
- Hop Rocks consumables granted low-gravity jumps.
- Scoped AR improved for precision.
- Meta: Shotguns nerfed, but “double pump” still viable early. Drum Gun + Pump became the go-to combo.
Season 5: Worlds Collide (July – Sept 2018)
Story:
The rift widened, pulling real-world and fantastical objects into Fortnite. Desert biomes appeared. Viking ships, ancient statues, and rift portals showed the story was expanding into a multiverse.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Compact SMG (P90) — devastating in close-range.
- Double Barrel Shotgun — insane burst, short range.
- ATK (All-Terrain Kart) — the first true squad vehicle.
- Rift-to-Go enabled instant rotations.
- Meta: SMG spray became dominant. Shotguns were balanced against SMGs for close fights.
Season 6: Darkness Rises (Sept – Dec 2018)
Story:
Kevin the Cube returned and floated Loot Lake into the air. The island was corrupted. Shadows, runes, and Halloween themes dominated.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Shadow Stones turned players into phasing specters.
- Quadcrasher smashed builds and added boost mobility.
- Six Shooter pistol, thematic but underwhelming.
- Meta: Shadow Stones added unpredictability to rotations. Balloons gave aerial dominance. Shotguns still core, but AR + SMG spray solidified.
Season 7: Ice King & Polar Peak (Dec 2018 – Feb 2019)
Story:
A massive iceberg crashed into the island, bringing the Ice King and his frozen castle. During his live event, the entire island was covered in snow.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- X-4 Stormwing planes — revolutionized gameplay (and controversy).
- Infinity Blade mythic sword — extremely overpowered, vaulted after backlash.
- Chiller grenades — slippery fun.
- Scoped Revolver as hybrid AR/pistol.
- Meta: Planes changed Fortnite into an aerial dogfight game. Infinity Blade broke balance until vaulting.
Season 8: Pirates & Volcano (Feb – May 2019)
Story:
Pirates sailed in, a volcano erupted, and the Prisoner’s transformation hinted at greater lore. The first community voting event let players unvault weapons.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Flint-Knock Pistol — knockback + high damage.
- Pirate Cannons — doubled as weapons and mobility launchers.
- Infantry Rifle — precision AR/sniper hybrid.
- Volcano Vents added rotation.
- Meta: Infantry Rifle rewarded skilled players. Cannons gave squads tactical movement. Flint-Knock became a clutch tool in fights.
Season 9: Future Tilted (May – Aug 2019)
Story:
Neo Tilted rose, futuristic slipstreams changed rotations, and the Monster vs. Mecha event became Fortnite’s most cinematic live showdown yet.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- Combat Shotgun — fast, accurate, dominant.
- Storm Flip grenade — created damage zones.
- Tactical Assault Rifle — mid-range accuracy.
- Meta: Combat Shotgun became meta-defining. Slipstreams reshaped drop and rotation strategy. Storm Flip brought zone control to high-level play.
Season X: Out of Time (Aug – Oct 2019)
Story:
Reality collapsed. Rift Zones warped locations, old POIs returned in broken forms, and the Zero Point destabilized. Finally, the Black Hole consumed the island, ending Chapter 1.
Loot Pool:
- New Additions:
- B.R.U.T.E. mechs — massively overpowered, infamous for ruining balance.
- Frequent “unvaults” cycled older weapons (Drum Gun, Tactical SMG).
- Rift Zones created map-wide loot/gimmick mechanics (low gravity, turbo builds).
- Meta: Chaotic and divisive. BRUTEs dominated, while weapon rotations made balance feel unstable. The instability fit the collapsing storyline.
Closing Thoughts
Chapter 1 wasn’t just Fortnite’s first era—it was a living experiment. Every season introduced a new weapon, mechanic, or event that reshaped how the game was played. Some (like Shadow Stones and the Drum Gun) became fan favorites, while others (Infinity Blade, BRUTEs) are remembered for how they broke the game.
But together, the story beats and loot pool evolution created a rhythm: the lore shaped the map, the loot shaped the fights, and both shaped how players remember Fortnite’s early years.
And when the Black Hole finally swallowed the island, it wasn’t just a cliffhanger—it was the end of a chaotic, creative, unforgettable chapter of gaming history.
