Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3, officially named Runners, went live on June 6, 2026, a day after the Shattered live event closed out Season 2. The update is a mid-chapter overhaul rather than a small refresh, with a remixed island, the return of Sprites as the core mechanic, four new weapons, and a fresh Battle Pass headlined by a cel-shaded John Wick.
Quick answer: Runners centers on Sprites and fast movement. Collect Sprites for abilities, bank them at Extraction sites, and bring them into future matches. The map is now Shattered Coast, and the season adds the Extending Focus Shotgun, Surgical Burst Rifle, Chaos Exploder Rifle, and John Wick’s Lancehead Pistol.
Shattered Coast: The new mid-chapter map
The island has been rebuilt into Shattered Coast, a remix of Chapter 7’s points of interest. Many familiar spots return with new identities, like the urban Battlewood becoming the forested Battlewoods complete with a river running through it. The wilderness between towns has also changed, so the geography across the whole island feels different.
Not everything was reworked. Wonkeeland sticks around for Season 3, so a few landmarks carry over untouched. Dark Dominion has been replaced by a new tropical location with the Zero Point exposed in its center, which makes it one of the hottest early-season drop spots. A duck-themed location called Duck Mansion also ties into the new Battle Pass content.
Sprites: How the core mechanic works
Sprites, the small creatures first seen in Chapter 6, are back and now drive the gameplay loop the way the Rivalry system did last season. When you collect a Sprite, it grants an ability based on its type. You can also bank it at Extraction sites scattered around the island so you can summon it at the start of a later match.
The more you extract a given Sprite type, the stronger it becomes in future matches. You can also level Sprites by exploring (opening chests), getting eliminations with one in your inventory, and extracting them. Push a Sprite to max level and extract it to Master it, which unlocks progression rewards across the season. Keep an eye out for rare Special variants that carry a small bonus effect.
Each Sprite type comes with its own power. Here is how the confirmed Sprites break down by rarity.
| Sprite | Rarity | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Sprite | Rare | Chance to find extra rare items when opening chests |
| Fire Sprite | Rare | Creates a fiery burst after enough damage to an enemy |
| Water Sprite | Rare | Replenishes shield in water for you and nearby squad |
| Duck Sprite | Epic | Emoting or jamming replenishes shields |
| Ghost Sprite | Epic | Grants cloak for a duration when you reload |
| Demon Sprite | Epic | Siphons health and shields on elimination |
| King Sprite | Epic | Your pickaxe deals more damage |
| Dream Sprite | Legendary | Random item at each level, legendary loot at max |
| Punk Sprite | Legendary | Possibly nothing, or infinitely something |
| Zero Point Sprite | Mythic | Spawns a Shield Bubble Jr. when you self-heal |
Sprite Dust and Gizmos
Successful extractions earn Sprite Dust, the currency that powers your collection. Spend it at the start of a match to summon a Sprite you have already extracted, equipping its power before you leave the bus. Rarer Sprites cost more Dust, and Dust can also upgrade a Sprite’s powers and loot.
New Gizmo consumables sit in your pickaxe slot when you drop in and speed up extractions. The Portable Extractor pulls your equipped Sprite from anywhere on the island. Two more arrive later in the season: the Lucky Locator, which finds a buried chest guaranteed to hold a Sprite you have not collected, and the Extraction Site Booster, which calls in a crate that boosts any Sprite extracted there. Gizmos cannot be traded, drop when you are eliminated, and expire at season’s end, so use them.
New weapons and movement in Chapter 7 Season 3
Four new weapons and new movement gear join the loot pool, including a John Wick collaboration gun. Here is what each one does.
| Weapon | What it does |
|---|---|
| Extending Focus Shotgun | Three-round magazine. Strong from the hip and surprisingly deadly at mid-range when aiming down sights as the spread tightens. |
| Chaos Exploder Rifle | Accurate rifle that fires exploding cubes for small splash damage, ideal for punishing bunched-up squads near cover. |
| Surgical Burst Rifle | A cleaned-up burst rifle with low recoil and minimal damage falloff. Highly accurate and smooth to fire. |
| Lancehead Pistol | John Wick’s sidearm with a 21-round magazine. Throw the empty magazine for 35 damage when reloading. Not automatic, so you fire one shot per trigger pull. |
For movement, the Seven Sliders turn every kneeslide into a powerslide and can launch you skyward. Aiming down sights mid-slide slows you to a crawl while keeping the slide, giving you a clean shot, but watch for overheating since it drains durability faster and drops you on your face. Sliding on water lowers your heat. A second movement item, Shock Rocks, arrives later in the season and lets you perform three midair leaps when crushed.
Returning weapons include the Maven Auto Shotgun, Striker Pump Shotgun, Ranger Pistol, Stinger SMG, Hunting Rifle, and the Chaos Reloader Shotgun.
Runners Battle Pass skins and rewards
The Runners Battle Pass carries eight skins. Buying the pass instantly unlocks The Guardian, a customizable mech suit driven by a Sprite, with new style options that open up as you extract Sprites during matches. The single big collaboration is John Wick – Pen & Ink, a cel-shaded take on the character that comes with his dog as a sidekick.
The full skin lineup includes The Guardian, Heatwave PJ, Vanguard Slone, Dylan, Cluster, John Wick – Pen & Ink, The Voidblade, and Wolfe. Heatwave PJ and Vanguard Slone are remixes of existing characters, while The Voidblade appears inspired by the item shop skin Focus. Cluster is a new rubber duck character and Wolfe is a soldier likely connected to Slone and the Imagined Order. A crossover with Twitch streamer TheBurntPeanut also features as a sidekick.
Buy the pass during launch week, June 6 through 12, and you immediately receive the Gold Huntress style of Dylan plus a set of bonus items.
- Gold Huntress Dylan (Skin)
- Venomous Chainsaw (Pickaxe)
- Gilded Cherubs Holster (Back Bling)
- Marbled Speedboat (Glider)
- John Wick and Dog (Skin + Sidekick)
- Dark Cubic Sneakers (Kicks)
- John Wick Gunglider (Glider)
- Blade of the Void (Pickaxe)
Bus exfil: A new way to win, later this season
Later in Season 3, some matches can end differently. There is a small chance the Battle Bus rifts back into the map, opening a window to board it. Climb on, grapple up, and get at least one teammate to the rift out point to secure a Victory. Multiple teams can win this way in a single match.
Ranked reset and new Unreal Legends rank
Ranks have been reset for the new season, with fresh Ranked rewards in Battle Royale. Reaching Gold unlocks the Cube’s Creche Back Bling, Platinum gives the Voyager’s Suit Wrap, Elite hands over the Hatchets of Chaos Pickaxe, and Unreal earns the Axe of Unreal Pickaxe.
A new tier called Unreal Legends sits above the rest. To qualify, you must reach Unreal, hold at least 2,500 Skill Rating, and place in the Top 500 on the Unreal Leaderboard at the same time.
Reload updates in Chapter 7 Season 3
Reload gets a sizable update alongside the main mode. Three new Morphite weapons join the loot pool: the Morphite Hammer Assault Rifle, Morphite Sentinel Shotgun, and Morphite Mammoth Pistol. Reboots now scale with the match, so you return with stronger gear later in the game instead of the weakest weapons.
| Reboot stage | Gear |
|---|---|
| Early game | Common Assault Rifle |
| Mid game | Morphite Heavy AR, Morphite SMG, 1 Mini Shield |
| Late game | Morphite AR, Tactical Shotgun, 1 Mini Shield, 2 Chug Splashes |
Reload’s loot pool also shifts. Unvaulted items include the Red-Eye Assault Rifle, Combat Pistol, Rapid Fire SMG, Red-Eye SMG, Gatekeeper Shotgun, Collateral Damage Assault Rifle, Heavy Impact Sniper Rifle, and Wrecker Revolver. Vaulted items include Slap Juice, Slap Splash, Med-Mist Smoke Grenade, Slapperoni Pizza, Holo Twister Assault Rifle, Tactical Pistol, Cube Splitter SMG, and Cube Rifle.
Reload Zero Build also removes lethal fall damage, dropping players to 1 HP and stripping shields instead of eliminating them. You can now cut your glider after leaving the Battle Bus to free-fall and land faster. A new Battle Bus ADS feature lets you aim down sights during the ride to scout the island, ping locations, and mark drop spots.
With Sprites driving progression, a remixed island to relearn, and a movement-heavy loadout built around the Seven Sliders, Runners gives Chapter 7 a clear new rhythm. Chasing max-level Sprite Mastery and the new Unreal Legends rank are the two longest goals to keep an eye on as the season plays out.
