Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3, also called Fortnite Runners, will launch on June 6, 2026 and bring a major shift to the battle royale formula with extraction-style gameplay, collectible Sprites, new weapons, fresh items, and a reworked map. The season’s headline feature is Sprites, which are no longer just temporary helpers. Players can now collect them permanently by finding them in matches, securing them at extraction points, and surviving long enough to exfiltrate with them. Once extracted, Sprites are added to a player’s collection and can be summoned in future matches using a new currency called Sprite Dust. Rare Sprites cost more to summon, but they provide stronger effects, and some can even level up over time through exploration, eliminations, and successful extractions.
Sprites play a central role in the season’s progression system. As players use them more, they gain experience and unlock Mastery rewards. Extracting a Sprite at max level grants Mastery, which contributes to seasonal progression rewards. Epic Games is also planning special Sprite variants that will appear through daily drops, Power Hours, and limited-time activities. At launch, the season will include 10 Sprites with different powers and rarity tiers, ranging from Rare to Mythic. These include the Earth Sprite, Fire Sprite, Water Sprite, Duck Sprite, Ghost Sprite, Demon Sprite, King Sprite, Dream Sprite, Punk Sprite, and the Zero Point Sprite.
The new season also introduces four launch weapons, with a fifth arriving later. The Extending Focus Shotgun is designed for long-range volleys, while the Surgical Burst Rifle offers low recoil and minimal damage falloff. The Chaos Exploder Rifle functions as a heavy assault rifle with explosive cubes, and the Lancehead Pistol, inspired by John Wick, lets players throw ammo clips at enemies while reloading. A Bank Shot Pistol that ricochets off surfaces will be added later in the season. Several returning weapons, including the Striker Pump, Maven Auto Shotgun, Ranger Pistol, Stinger SMG, Hunting Rifle, and Chaos Reloader Shotgun, will remain in the loot pool.
Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 will also add new mobility and support items. Seven Sliders improve slide speed and allow players to slow time while aiming mid-slide. Shock Rocks, arriving later, enable three midair leaps. Other tools include the Portable Extractor for extracting Sprites from anywhere on the island, the Lucky Locator for finding buried Chests with uncollected Sprites, and the Extraction Site Booster, which enhances extracted Sprites at a marked location.
The map is changing too. The new Shattered Coast island remixes familiar points of interest into fused locations with new twists, reflecting the aftermath of the Shattered live event. New POIs include Cluster Coast, The Zero Point, and Heatwave Harbor. Epic Games is also improving gameplay with features such as expanded Ground Rush support, Battle Bus ADS, refined audio visualizer behavior, updated storm timings, and a new controller aiming setting. Later in the season, Bus Exfil will add a dramatic new win condition, allowing teams to extract by boarding a rifted Battle Bus before time runs out.
