Fortnite rifts are now shooting giant lightning bolts at the ground
Epic Games recently released update 5.30 for Fortnite, bringing some big changes including a transformation of Tomato Town into Tomato Temple. Surprises are still rolling in and now players are reporting a big, unexpected phenomenon: lightning bolts shooting out of the rifts. These aren't small flashes of light, but rather huge bursts of energy that suddenly strike the ground.
According to reports from players who have witnessed it, the lightning bolts appear to be limited to the desert portion of the map where Paradise Palms is located. The lightning strikes random locations, making contact with the ground each time. A scorch mark is present on the dirt after the strike.
Multiple videos of the lightning strikes have appeared online and more will no doubt arrive in coming weeks. As with many teases Epic has introduced into its battle royale game, there's no word on what exactly the lightning bolts mean. That hasn't stopped speculation, though.
A lightning strike coming from the rift just hit the southeast part of the map! What could this mean? #Fortnite pic.twitter.com/qmhlgrN9VK
— Fortnite News | LootLake.net (@LootLakeBR) August 23, 2018
Some players have pointed out that Fortnite's less popular Save the World mode, which is currently locked behind a paywall, features similar lightning strikes as part of the gameplay. Fans are hoping the presence of lightning bolts are an indication that something big will happen with Save the World soon — possibly that it'll launch as a free game.
Others wonder whether the lightning bolts could indicate some type of link between the two game modes, with Save the World in some way bleeding over into Battle Royale. It's possible the new phenomenon has nothing to do with Save the World and instead hints at major rift activity set to happen in the near future. Regardless, be careful when running through the map's desert region.