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Pre-Season key art

Chapter 1 · Pre-Season

Everything About Fortnite Chapter 1 Pre-Season

Where it all began — a stripped-down Battle Royale with no Battle Pass.

Dates: September 12, 2017 – October 24, 2017Duration: 42 Days

What’s New

The Basics

  • Battle Royale launches as a free mode.
  • Original island with early POIs like Tilted Towers' predecessors.
  • No Battle Pass yet — just the core 100-player mode.

Season Theme

The Pre-Season is where Fortnite Battle Royale launched: a stripped-down game with no Battle Pass, minimal progression and a map full of copy-paste towns. It's remembered as the rough but charming foundation that turned Fortnite into a phenomenon.