The volcano has erupted, forever changing some of the most famous locations on the map. There are new areas to explore, new goodies to acquire, and a brand new battle pass. All of this can only mean one thing: Fortnite Season 9 starts today.

One of the new features sure to catch your eye from the get-go is the new transportation system. Called Slipstreams, these circular contraptions will have you whizzing around the map using wind power.

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You'll also find new areas to explore, such as Neo Tilted (because of course Tilted is fine and well) and Mega Mall. Fortnite's getting all futuristic.

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There have also been the usual changes to the game's weapon lineup. You'll find a new Combat Shotgun, a semi-automatic gun which holds 10 shells, adjustments for some of the weapons you've come to know, and several which have been vaulted. Removed from the game, for now, are the Clingers, Buried Treasure, Pump Shotgun, Poison Dart Trap, Scoped Revolver, Suppressed Assault Rifle, Thermal Assault Rifle, and Balloons.

You'll also find several bug fixes and improvements (full patch notes can be viewed here) as well as an intriguing addition called Fortbytes. There are 100 collectable computer chips to be found across the island, and collecting them all will unlock special rewards. You can see more about this in the new Battle Pass trailer below.

The patch notes also mention an improved frame rate on Nintendo Switch, particularly when large numbers of characters are onscreen.

Will you be dropping into Season 9 today? Let us know with a comment below.

[source epicgames.com]