Fortnite players puzzle over the appearance of a mysterious cloud

Last week, James was convinced that winter was coming to Fortnite, and it increasingly looks like he’s probably right. It shouldn’t be surprising, given the game’s proclivity for fancy events and the fact that Christmas isn’t far off, and the evidence is starting to mount up. Grab your pipe and your deerstalker.  

First off, Epic already has one winter event under its belt, so it’s pretty safe to assume another one is on its way, though likely in a more ambitious form, given the crazy stuff the studio has been doing lately. Epic has already introduced the Deep Freeze bundle, among other chilly things, like the A.I.M. outfit’s frozen gloves and boots, so we know that it has winter on the mind. 

There’s also a cloud! Wait, wait, it’s a special cloud. Ominous, even, if you squint and are easily intimidated. You can barely see it at the moment, as it hugs the horizon far to the south of the map. It doesn’t look like ordinary weather, though. Something’s coming, and dare I say it might be snow. And probably other surprises. Definitely other surprises.

The A.I.M. robot seems to be connected to it, too. Spotted by a Reddit user (thanks Eurogamer) some loading screen art shows the bot looking at a holographic map containing a diamond marker right where it looks like the clouds are currently resting. The robot’s been studying it, presumably, and that looks like a parachute behind him. What does it know that we don’t?

I’ve got more questions, too. How does this all link to the cube and the rifts? Could the castle seen through the rift belong to a Snow Queen of some sort? Or maybe it’s not connected at all, though that seems unlikely. I’ve taken a wee break from Fortnite, but I find myself just as invested as ever—I’m a sucker for these mysteries. 

It’s not the only strange weather on the horizon. Civilization and XCOM developer Firaxis summoned a storm and has been livestreaming it.