Quick answer (updated 1 November 2026, 09:30 UTC): Treasure Hunters is live now. It started on Sunday 1 November 2026 with update v43.00, and Epic's status page marked downtime complete at 08:12 UTC. So the season after Override is a mini-season, not Chapter 8. The next one to watch comes after Epic's Chapter 7 end event on Saturday 5 December, but Epic hasn't named or dated Chapter 8. Late-November Chapter 8 leaks now look wrong, because Epic's own end event is a week later.
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Key takeaways
- Next season: Treasure Hunters, on the new 80-player Crossbones Isle.
- Length: about 34 days if it ends on 5 December, the date the Fortnite Wiki lists. That's the wiki's end date, and Epic has only dated the end event.
- Epic-confirmed: the 1 November start, the 5 December end event, the Battle Pass headliners, Captain's Days and the Item Shop schedule.
- Still unconfirmed: the name, date and map of whatever follows the end event.
- Fortnite OG runs separately. Its Season X calendar isn't tied to Treasure Hunters.
When is the next Fortnite season?
Fortnite's new season began on 1 November 2026. Epic's Treasure Hunters announcement opens with the date:
"On November 1, the hunt begins. Players will explore a new Island, fight with One Piece powers and search for mysterious loot on the greatest adventure of all time." — Epic Games, 30 October 2026
The Epic Games status page shows v43.00 downtime starting at 1 AM ET (05:00 UTC) and completing at 08:12 UTC on 1 November. The first Captain's Day starts at 9 AM ET (14:00 UTC).
Is the next Fortnite season a mini-season or Chapter 8?
It's a mini-season. The Fortnite Wiki lists Treasure Hunters as Chapter 7: Mini Season 1, "the fifth and final season of Chapter 7". GamesRadar and Game Rant call it a mini-season too. Epic's news post simply calls it "the Season", but its dates show the short format: a 1 November start and a Chapter 7 end event five weeks later.
That settles the old debate. Earlier posts, including a previous version of this page, had to treat all of this as a leak. Now Epic has confirmed that the 1 November launch is Treasure Hunters, not Chapter 8.
Why is Treasure Hunters a mini-season?
Epic hasn't said. r/FortniteBR was still asking hours before launch. One commenter on that thread argued that One Piece is the main selling point, and that not everyone would want three months of it. That's a player's theory, not Epic's reasoning.
What the calendar does show is that Epic has used this slot before. The Simpsons mini-season ran from 1 to 29 November 2025, right before Chapter 7. Treasure Hunters sits in the same place in the year, and it uses the same 80-player cap as Springfield, according to GameSpot.
What's confirmed and what's still a leak?
| Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Treasure Hunters starts 1 November 2026 | Confirmed | Epic news post |
| v43.00 downtime begins 1 AM ET (05:00 UTC) | Confirmed | Epic status page |
| New 80-player Crossbones Isle | Confirmed | Epic news post |
| Chapter 7 end event on 5 December | Confirmed | Epic news post |
| Next LEGO Pass on 5 December "with our next big update" | Confirmed | Fortnite Status on X |
| Treasure Hunters ends 5 December | Wiki date | Fortnite Wiki; Epic has dated only the event |
| Chapter 8 starts 5 December | Unconfirmed | Leaks, plus Epic's dates fit it |
| Chapter 8 starts 28 November | Unlikely | HYPEX leak, a week before Epic's end event |
| Chapter 8 map, theme or Battle Pass | Unconfirmed | No Epic source |
How long is the Treasure Hunters mini-season?
About 34 days, if the wiki's 5 December end date holds. Treasure Hunters would be a little longer than the Simpsons mini-season and close to Galactic Battle, the other recent mini-season. It would also be less than half the length of Override.
| Season | Start | End | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 6: Galactic Battle (mini) | 2 May 2025 | 7 Jun 2025 | 36 |
| Chapter 6: The Simpsons (mini) | 1 Nov 2025 | 29 Nov 2025 | 28 |
| Chapter 7 Season 4: Override | 20 Aug 2026 | 1 Nov 2026 | 73 |
| Treasure Hunters (mini) | 1 Nov 2026 | 5 Dec 2026 (wiki) | 34 |
Epic's own wording is a hint rather than a schedule: "keep Saturday, December 5, open. Time is on your side… for now. Don't miss an unforgettable Chapter 7 end event." It hasn't published a start hour for that event. Our live event time page will carry the time once Epic posts it, and our season end countdown tracks the current season.
When does Chapter 8 come out?
Epic hasn't announced Chapter 8, so no date is confirmed. Here's where the evidence stands on 1 November:
- Epic's "Chapter 7 end event" on 5 December tells us Chapter 7 is finishing.
- Fortnite Status says the new LEGO Pass drops 5 December "with our next big update". That's the same date, but Epic didn't call the update Chapter 8.
- HYPEX's 28 November date falls a week before Epic's end event, so we'd drop it. Esports Insider reported that date from HYPEX.
- The past pattern is close. Chapter 7 started on 29 November 2025, straight after the Simpsons mini-season.
Our read: something large almost certainly follows the event on or just after 5 December, and Chapter 8 is the likely name. Treat that as an inference until Epic says it. Our Chapter 8 release date page covers the older leak history.
What's in the next Fortnite season?
Epic's post describes a season built around weekly arrivals rather than one big launch:
"Each week, a new captain arrives in Battle Royale with their own crew and POI: the Straw Hats and A$AP Rocky lead the way, followed by Lil Uzi Vert, Cap'n Hatsune Miku and Kasane Teto." — Epic Games, 30 October 2026
- Map: Crossbones Isle, with cannons for travel and 12 labelled POIs, including Arlong Park and Windmill Village. Our Treasure Hunters map guide lists all 12.
- One Piece powers: the Gum-Gum Fruit and Zoro's Three Sword Style.
- A$AP Rocky: the $.$. Rocky battleship POI and his Shock Rocket. Fortnite Status calls him "the Island's first Boss".
- Captain's Days: new weapons, Sprites and more arrive on 1, 7, 12, 14 and 21 November.
- Recurring events: Mastery Mondays and Treasure Hours Sundays add Captain's weapons at match start and boosted drops.
- Ranked: Fortnite Status lists "a new Ranked Season". Epic hasn't published reset details.
Our v43.00 update page will carry the official patch notes once they're live.
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Does a mini-season have a smaller Battle Pass?
Yes. Past mini-seasons had 5 outfits, against 8 in a full season, according to the Fortnite Wiki. Its pass page lists a mini-season as 50 rewards plus 10 bonus rewards, compared with 100 plus 50 for a full season.
Epic names five looks for this pass: Portgas D. Ace, Nico Robin, and anime versions of Jonesy, Cuddle Team Leader and Charlotte. Gifting the pass gives both players a Dark Kawaii Team Leader style. GamesRadar reports a price of 800 V-Bucks, though Epic's post doesn't print one. Our Battle Pass guide has the details.
The other passes changed too. Epic dropped its earlier extensions on 31 October, and Fortnite Status explained the new plan:
"Extending the LEGO and Music Passes wasn't the right move." — Fortnite Status, 31 October 2026
The next Music Pass now drops on 12 November and the new LEGO Pass on 5 December. Both will be "a little smaller" and cost 1,000 V-Bucks. Epic said future passes will return to their regular size. Our Music Pass guide tracks that change.
What should you plan around before 5 December?
A five-week season moves quickly, so a few dates matter more than usual:
- Start the pass early. You'd get less than half of Override's 73 days, and Treasure Hunters could finish on 5 December.
- Mark the Captain's Days. Epic's new weapons and Sprites arrive on 1, 7, 12, 14 and 21 November.
- Check Shop dates before spending. Zoro, Sanji and the Chopper Sidekick land on 7 November, and Buggy follows on 13 November.
- Keep Saturday 5 December clear. Epic hasn't given a start hour for the end event yet.
- Ignore "new season" V-Bucks offers. Epic doesn't hand out free V-Bucks through public codes, so treat any site promising them as a scam.
Is Fortnite OG changing too?
Not with this update, as far as Epic has said. Fortnite OG runs its own season line, currently OG Chapter 1: Season X "Out of Time", which went live on 3 September 2026. The Fortnite Wiki and season trackers report that it ends on 4 December, but we haven't seen an Epic post with that date.
FAQ
What is the next Fortnite season? Treasure Hunters, a mini-season starting on 1 November 2026 with update v43.00. It uses a new 80-player island called Crossbones Isle and includes a One Piece collaboration.
Is the next Fortnite season Chapter 8? No. Treasure Hunters comes first, and the Fortnite Wiki lists it as the final season of Chapter 7. Epic has dated a Chapter 7 end event for 5 December but hasn't announced Chapter 8.
When does Fortnite Chapter 8 come out? Epic hasn't said. The 5 December end event and a "next big update" on the same date point to early December, but that's an inference. The older 28 November leak falls before Epic's end event.
How long is the Fortnite mini-season? About 34 days if it ends on 5 December, the date on the Fortnite Wiki. The 2025 Simpsons mini-season ran for 28 days.
Why is this season a mini-season? Epic hasn't explained it. One player theory is that a One Piece season works better short. The calendar also matches the November 2025 Simpsons mini-season, which also ran right before a new chapter.
Does Override Battle Pass progression carry over? No. The Override Battle Pass ends with its season on 1 November (Eastern Time), so Treasure Hunters starts a new pass track.
Sources and last check
This guide applies to the main Fortnite Battle Royale season line. We last checked it on 1 November 2026 at 03:25 UTC, before v43.00 went live, against Epic's Treasure Hunters post, the Epic Games status page, Fortnite Status posts on X and the Fortnite Wiki. We'll update it when Epic names the next season.
Need more help with the new season? These guides cover the rest of Treasure Hunters.
