Fortnite V21.50 Phantasm Week Update: Late Game Arena Finally Returns!

The Late Game Arena Format had been a massively popular game mode for Fortnite fans. Its removal had caused disappointment among many players. No one can be sure, but the high popularity of this game mode may have caused a reduction in players queuing for regular arena and public matches. Nevertheless, Epic has finally relented and re-introduced the fan-favorite mode in the most recent patch update.

Other significant updates include the addition of shadow bombs, shield bubbles, and a reduction in the rate of appearance of the powerful Kamehama and Nimbus Cloud. Here is Epic’s full breakdown of both the Late Game Arena additions along with details about the Phantasm Week updates:

WHAT’S RETURNING IN LATE GAME ARENA?

Late Game Arena will still offer the instant fast-paced action that players love. You will be able to drop in with your Trio or “fill” with new teammates. We also are keeping Late Game Arena set in the daytime without fog to provide maximum visibility of your enemies.

LOOT POOL

Late Game Arena is returning with fresh gameplay thanks to a loot pool chosen specifically for competitive balance and improved performance. You will spawn with some of the most popular weapons and items from previous Chapters and Seasons — drop in starting August 30 at 8 AM ET and discover which weapons and items are making their return!

ADDRESSING EARLY GAME FEEDBACK

You may remember that Late Game Arena had a long initial phase to ensure that players couldn’t easily wait until the next zone reveals itself before landing. This resulted in too many eliminations before the “late” part of Late Game Arena.

This time we’re experimenting with Rift Spawning. You’ll begin each round hovering 100 meters above the Island with 10 seconds to decide where exactly you want to land. Looking down will force you to dive, and you’ll be forced to deploy your Glider at 25 meters above the Island while being unable to pull your Glider sooner. 

We have also significantly reduced the initial Storm timings — you’ll have under 20 seconds until the next location shows and 40 seconds until the Storm circle begins closing.

We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback on the changes and where further improvements can be made.

IN-GAME SCOREBOARD

Now you’ll be able to prove that your teammates are stealing eliminations while you do all of the work! We’re adding a new in-game scoreboard with details about eliminations, assists, damage dealt, and damage taken.

IMPROVEMENTS COMING IN A FUTURE UPDATE

We felt that you’d rather have more time to play Late Game Arena instead of waiting for the following improvements, but at the same time, we want you to know some of what’s coming in a future update:

• While waiting to dive, you’ll be able to ping the location without opening the map.
• While waiting to dive, you’ll be able to manually rearrange your inventory (in the meantime, preferred item slots work as usual).

LATE GAME COMPETITIONS

Throughout the rest of the Season, we will be hosting Late Game Solo and Trios Cups. We will offer Late Game Quick Cups (non-prized) and Cash Cups (prized) in different formats. 

Quick Cups will feature only one Round, where you will be racing to the top of the leaderboard for 2 hours and up to 12 matches to demonstrate your skill. 

Cash Cups will feature two Rounds. Round 1 will follow the same format as the Quick Cups: 2 hours and up to 12 matches. Only the top 60 players in Solo Cups or the top 20 teams in the Trios Cups will advance to Round 2. In Round 2, these players will compete over the course of ten matches for cash prizes! Please see the Late Game Quick Cup and Cash Cup dates below:

• September 1: Late Game Solo Quick Cup & Late Game Trios Quick Cup
• September 6: Late Game Solo Quick Cup & Late Game Trios Quick Cup
• September 8: Late Game Trios Cash Cup
• September 13: Late Game Solo Cash Cup
• September 15: Late Game Solo Quick Cup & Late Game Trios Quick Cup
• September 16: Late Game Solo Cash Cup
• September 17: Late Game Trios Cash Cup

PATCH V21.50 – SHADOW OF PHANTASM WEEK

A samurai in life and a phantom in the afterlife, stealth is no stranger to Phantasm. In the upcoming Shadow of Phantasm Week, the Suppressed Assault Rifle, Suppressed SMG, Shadow Bomb, and Shield Bubble will be unvaulted! Complete special Quests for XP while using these items that are back with a vengeance. Shadow of Phantasm Week starts August 30 at 9 AM ET and ends September 7, 2022, at 9 AM ET.

The Shield Bubble may not be stealthy… but it’s a futuristic fit for futuristic samurai. Be warned: it can’t shield against a Kamehemaha! 

You’ll be able to find Suppressed Assault Rifles and Suppressed SMGs from the ground and Chests, and Shadow Bombs and Shield Bubbles from the ground, Chests, and Supply Drops. What about the Quests? The Quests will be findable on the Quests page in the “Shadow of Phantasm Week” category!

KEEP WIELDING THE POWERS OF SON GOKU

Even though the Fortnite x Dragon Ball “Power Unleashed” Quests have ended, Capsule Corp continues to send deliveries! The Kamehameha and Nimbus Cloud (Kintoun) items are still on the Island, just at a lower rate of appearance.

IMPOSTORS HEADS TO THE VAULT

The Bridge, for now, is safe.

In the v21.50 update, we’ve vaulted the Impostors playlists as our teams shift focus to other Fortnite projects. We want to extend a thank you to everyone who’s trusted, betrayed, and of course, Peely Party’d together during its limited release.

Also, we’ve added Impostors Prefabs and Prop Galleries in Creative for you to create and play your own experiences!

COMPETITIVE NOTES

• The Shadow of Phantasm Week changes will be included in competitive playlists.
• Late Game Arena starts later today.
• Zero Build Arena has been turned off.

MAJOR BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue in which the Health and Shield bars would not correspond with the actual value remaining after taking damage.
• Fixed an issue in which the Kamehameha would refill to three full charges when dropped by an eliminated player.
• The “Dedicated Button” fire mode option on mobile is now working correctly. Unchecking the option will now automatically hide the dedicated fire button in-game if the context allows it.
  • If the equipped weapon/item doesn’t support the currently selected fire mode (for example a melee weapon can’t autofire), the dedicated fire button will still be displayed.