Fortnite update today: What changes in the v29.40 patch notes?

So, when will Fortnite come back online and what does today's Fortnite update change about the game?

Keep on reading to find out!

What time does today's Fortnite update arrive?

According to the official Epic Games website, today's Fortnite downtime is planned to end at 1pm BST for players here in the UK.

However, according to an official Fortnite blog post, much of the new in-game content will not go live until 2pm BST.

It might be best to plan for the later option, just in case the downtime takes a little bit longer than planned to end.

What changes in today's Fortnite update?

The Fortnite update today (3rd May) is all about bringing Star Wars content into Battle Royale, LEGO Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, Rocket Racing and the Item Shop.

We've written a big long article explaining how the Star Wars content will impact all of those modes, so click the link in this sentence to see a detailed rundown of what's to come.

We've also published an explainer on how the LEGO Fortnite side of this Star Wars crossover will work, if you're looking to jump back into the brick-based version of the game.

If you don't want to click into another page, we'll also run through the top-line changes further down this page to save you the effort.

Speaking of LEGO and Star Wars, in honour of May the 4th, we've also been looking for LEGO Star Wars deals on real-life kits. We'll include that below if you're interested!

Where are the full patch notes for today's Fortnite update?

Epic Games has published a massive blog post about today's Fortnite update, and another one about the LEGO Fortnite update — those are the closest things we have to patch notes right now.

Another blog post might arrive later today, so you'll want to keep checking the 'News' section on the Fortnite website if you want to see even more detail.

You can also expect more info to surface on X (formerly Twitter), where the official Fortnite Status account is often posting about changes to the game.

Using the blog posts that Epic has already provided (at the time of writing), we've pulled together a list below of all of the major changes.

Fortnite battle royale patch notes

• Chewbacca will give you a Bowcaster - players can rescue Chewie from a different Imperial checkpoint each match
• Darth Vader is landing in the Lambda Shuttle - defeat him to claim his Lightsaber!
• Stormtroopers are on the island - their E-11 Blasters can also be found in Chests at Imperial checkpoints
• Star Wars Quests added - complete 10 to get the AWR Pack Back Bling

Fortnite Item Shop changes

New outfits available to buy (all have a LEGO form):

• Dagobah Luke
• Lando Calrissian
• AWR Trooper

Returning Star Wars outfits to buy:

• Boba Fett
• Han Solo
• Imperial Stormtrooper
• Leia Organa
• Finn
• Kylo Ren
• Rey
• Sith Trooper
• Zorii Bliss

LEGO Fortnite patch notes

• Rebel Village location added to your world - help the Rebels and get a LEGO Lightsaber!
• Paid LEGO Pass track - instantly unlock Chewbacca outfit
• Free LEGO Pass track - includes Mos Eisley Marketplace to build
• New LEGO styles for old outfits - Darth Vader, Krrsantan and The Mandalorian
• Craft LEGO Star Wars items - Bowcaster, DL-44 blaster, E-11 blaster and Thermal Detonator

Improvements and bug fixes in LEGO Fortnite:

• Starting in v29.40, you’ll be able to view LEGO Fortnite Quests without having to return to the Lobby!
• Made it easier to exit Driver’s Seats that are flipped over.
• Fixed an issue where players would sometimes not receive expected gifts from Villagers.
• Fixed a crash that happened rarely when getting out of bed.

Fortnite Festival patch notes

• New Jam Stage - Mos Eisley Cantina
• Star Wars Quests - complete them to unlock Seven-string Hallikset Guitar
• Available to buy - Cantina Band Jam Track, Endorian Drum Kit and Nalargon Keytar

Rocket Racing patch notes

• May the Fourth Quests - complete them to get Anakin's Podracer Decal and Darth Maul Decal
• Bescar Bundle arrives in the store, including:
  • Beskar Car Body
  • Beskar (Din Djarin) Wheels
  • The Armorer Beskar Decal
  • Beskar (Armorer) Wheels
  • Boba Fett Beskar Decal
  • Beskar (Boba Fett) Wheels
  • Bo-Katan Kryze Beskar Decal
  • Beskar (Bo-Katan Kryze) Wheels
  • Sabine Wren Beskar Decal
  • Beskar (Sabine Wren) Wheels

And that's about your lot! Plenty to keep you busy before the next Fortnite season. We'll try to update this page later if Epic does provide any further information on bug fixes or technical changes that are coming in this update.

Discover more with Fortnite creative map codes: Fortnite horror maps | Fortnite action-adventure maps | Fortnite hide and seek maps | Fortnite Zone Wars maps | Fortnite fighting maps | Fortnite parkour maps | best Fortnite creative maps | Fortnite Squid Game map codes | Fortnite Monopoly code | Fortnite I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here code | Fortnite Doctor Who map code

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.