Fortnite v40.20 Patch Notes: Save the World Goes Free

The Fortnite v40.20 update is live today (April 16, 2026).
This is a big update with major changes.

Players in USA, UK, and Canada are getting:

• Save the World free
• New Showdown Act 2
• WWE skins
• New Festival season

This update brings one of the biggest shifts in Fortnite history

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🔥 Quick Answer (Featured Snippet)

Fortnite v40.20 update highlights:

• Save the World is now free
• Showdown Act 2 starts
• WWE skins added
• New Festival Season (Laufey)
• Some modes removed

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⏰ Downtime & Server Status

• Downtime Start: 4 AM ET (USA)
• UK Time: 9 AM BST
• Matchmaking Off: 3:30 AM ET
• Servers Back: Around 7 AM ET

👉 Update size: ~5GB to 8GB

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🎮 1. Save the World is Now Free

Big change.

• New players can play free
• No more paywall
• First login reward → Snowstrike Hero

👉 This was confirmed in the update

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⚔️ 2. Showdown Act 2 (New War Phase)

Act 2 begins after Ice King win.

Team Ice King

• Reforged Infinity Blade
• Recon Scanner
• New Revolver
• Slipstreams

Team Foundation

• Super Shredder Shotgun
• New Launcher
• Sanctuary POI update
• New building mechanic

👉 More rewards unlocked by playing

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🧍 3. New Skins (WWE + Icon)

New skins added:

• Stone Cold Steve Austin (WWE)
• Liv Morgan (leaked)
• Sommerset, Moxie, Reddysh (Icon skins)

👉 Sommerset skin comes via event + shop

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🎵 4. Fortnite Festival Season 14

New artist: Laufey

• New Music Pass
• New Jam Tracks
• New stage design

👉 Full music theme changed

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❌ 5. Removed Modes

These are gone:

• Ballistic
• Festival Battle Stage

• Endgame LTM

👉 Done to improve performance

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Save the World really free forever now? A: Yes, as of the v40.20 update, Save the World is a permanent free-to-play component of the Fortnite ecosystem.

Q: How do I get the Elite Stronghold map? A: Early access begins April 18 for players ranked Elite or higher in Fortnite Reload. It opens to everyone else on April 20.

Q: Will I keep my V-Bucks from Save the World? A: “Founders” will continue to earn V-Bucks. New free-to-play users will earn “X-Ray Tickets” for progression instead of premium currency.