Fortnite Halloween event 2019: how to beat Storm King, Ghost Town locations and all other 'Fortnitemares' challenges

CultureGaming The zombie hoard has returned, and this time they brought a big, scary friend.

Thursday, 31st October 2019, 5:28 pm

Updated Thursday, 31st October 2019, 5:31 pm

Fortnite's annual Halloween-themed event, Fortnitemares, has returned for its third year, lending a spooky edge to Epic Games' endlessly popular shooter.

Few games love dressing up and paying tribute to other parts of pop culture as much as Fornite does – having already staged events around everything from Batman to Stephen King's It.

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As well as putting a new twist on the game itself, each event gives players the chance to grab some exclusive loot, and this Halloween event is no exception.

Here's everything you need to know.

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When is the Halloween event?

The 2019 Fortnitemares event began on Tuesday 29 October and will run until 4 November.

Fortnitemare gives the game a sinister make-over. Picture: Epic Games

What happens in it?

The game's map itself has been given a bit of a Halloween makeover to ensure that Halloween Fortnite sessions stand out from the rest of the year.

A small isle at the centre of the map has been dubbed the "Isle of the Storm" and has become infested with giant, purple, tentacle-covered, zombie-spewing crystals.

Until a crystal is destroyed, undead enemies will continue pouring out of them. But that's not all.

A new mode sees the return of a familiar face – the Storm King who first appeared in the game's co-operative Save the World mode, has taken up residence in the middle of the isle.

He now appears as a raid boss who can only be defeated by players working together to focus their attacks on his weak points.

Doing so while fending off the brain-hungry horde will prove especially challenging.

His energy beams make him a formidable foe but the Mythic weapons he carries ensure that players' efforts will be well-rewarded if they are able to topple the stormy behemoth.

While events like this – big bads which players must work together to take down – have long been a staple of games like World of Warcraft, they provide a new wrinkle to Fortnite, challenging players to re-think how they play.

Players have already had a chance to practise keeping their teammates safe in modes like Squads and Team Rumble, so the task of wading through a mass of zombies to take on a giant monster sure keeps things fresh.

What else does Fortnitemares add?

As previously mentioned, the Storm King is outfitted with Mythic weapons and defeating him grants players the likes of the Storm Sail Umbrella, which looks like it would have been Prince's weapon of choice.

For players looking to really get into the Halloween spirit, the store now also offers a Flaming Pumpkin weapon wrap and a variety of ghoulish zombie skins.

There are also a bunch of other seasonally-themed pickaxes, backblings and outfits.

Essentially, if you have the desire (and the funds) to really go for it, you can Halloween the almighty hell out of your Fortnite experience.

Fortnitemares also adds a couple of other horror-themed challenges that push the players to seek out some particularly spooky spots on the island - the Haunted Forrest (aka Weeping Woods), the Spooky Farm (Frenzy Farm) and the Ghost Town (a collection of haunted houses near Craggy Cliff).

Searching a chest in each of these locations completes the challenge.

The Ghost Town is especially worth a visit as smashing up the haunted house's furniture completes another seasonal challenge.

Even your guns can get in on the act with Fortnitemares. Picture: Epic Games

Will there be any downtime?

The Storm King mode was disabled on Tuesday while Epic dealt with an unspecified technical issue, but it's firing on all cylinders now and no further downtime is currently expected.

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