What time does Fortnite’s live event ‘The Big Bang’ start?

What time does Fortnite’s live event ‘The Big Bang’ start?

Time Stamp: December 2, 2023 2:12 PM

“The Big Bang” is Fortnite’s first live event that’s teased to bring about a “new beginning” for the game, according to developer Epic Games.

The event is the end to Fortnite OG’s schedule of rotating maps from Chapter 1, which itself ended with a “black hole” event that introduced a new Chapter and series of major additions.

“The Big Bang” appears to be a nod to this finale, and is rumored to introduce some similarly game-changing features — all ushered in by a musical appearance by Eminem. Here’s everything we know, and what time the live event begins in your time zone.

Fortnite live event start time: When does the ‘The Big Bang’ event begin?

Update (Dec. 2, 2:10 p.m. ET): “The Big Bang” event is technically happening now (from 2 p.m. ET), but for those still queuing to enter the game, don’t fret; developer Epic Games is running two more shows today to meet demand. The timings of these are unknown, but we’d recommend waiting until you’ve gained access to the lobby, then holding tight for the performance to begin.

Original story: Fortnite’s “The Big Bang” live event starts on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the following times:

  • 11 a.m. PST for the West Coast of North America
  • 2 p.m. EST for the East Coast of North America
  • 7 p.m. GMT for the U.K.
  • 8 p.m. CEST for west mainland Europe
  • 4 a.m. JST in Japan (Dec. 3)

Matchmaking for modes made by Epic — including Battle Royale and Zero Build — will go offline two hours before the prior times, paving the way for the live event to take center stage.

You can join the “The Big Bang” event itself 30 minutes before it begins — at 1:30 p.m. EST, or your local equivalent — which we’d recommend doing in case capacity is limited, as has been the case with Fortnite events in the past. In other words, it’s best to arrive early to avoid disappointment!

The live event can be accessed from all versions of the game, including streamed versions via services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, if you don’t happen to be at your console or PC at the time.

What can we expect from Fortnite’s ‘The Big Bang’ event?

Teasers and leaks for “The Big Bang” suggests hybrid of a Fortnite seasonal finale — which feature an interactive experience which concludes the season and tees up a new storyline — and Fortnite’s concerts, which Eminem is confirmed to feature. As such, those attending the event will receive an exclusive Loading Screen for taking part to commemorate the performance:

Eminem Loading Screen in Fortnite Image: Epic Games

Beyond that, details are thin on the ground. Fortnite leakers such as ShiinaBR on Twitter / X are being respectful of spoilers and are keeping specifics to themselves, with the tease that it’s “NOT just a concert.” So what else can we expect?

For one, the teaser image for the event features a llama, a creature that’s been a Fortnite staple since the Battle Royale mode’s debut. However, this is thought to be linked to a crafting mode in collaboration with LEGO, which has been teased on social media in the weeks leading to the event.

The microphone and guitar in the teaser image, meanwhile, is believed to be tied to a new “Festival” mode. These new modes, plus a Rocket League-inspired “Rocket Racing” mode, are suggested to be rolled out within the first week of Chapter 5, which will go live in the day or two of the live event. This also lines up with the cryptic mention of “new rules” in an official teaser:

How exactly these modes will appear as part of the event is unknown, but with a huge number of eyeballs watching this season finale, it’s the perfect place to promote them.

Either way, when the “The Big Bang” concludes, expect a period of downtime. With these rumored new modes and possible other features on the way, we won’t be playing again until sometime on Sunday, or even Monday.

In the meantime, if you’re looking to unlock this season’s Battle Pass skins before they disappear for good, we recommend finding gnome locations for some easy bonus XP.

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