Fortnite update 24.40 has been delayed, along with the release of a brand new Ranked mode, Epic Games has confirmed.
Update: Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite update 24.40 is rolling out this morning (Wednesday, May 17).
The next major update for Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 2, Fortnite update 24.40, was due to go live this morning. But, Epic Games has confirmed via its @FortniteStatus Twitter account that update 24.40 has been delayed and it is now expected to arrive on Wednesday, May 17, with the title's new Ranked mode also being delayed until tomorrow.
We already know that Fortnite update 24.40 will be introducing Ranked Play to the title for the very first time, with players able to play in the competitive mode in both Fortnite Battle Royale and Zero Build. Starting with Fortnite Ranked Season Zero, players will be able to progress through 18 ranks depending on their performance, from Bronze 1 to Unreal.
Season Zero will last until the end of Battle Royale Chapter 4 Season 3, the end of the next season, with Chapter 4 Season 3 set to kick off in early June, 2023, following the conclusion of the current season, Chapter 4 Season 2.
Major Fortnite updates tend to roll out on Tuesday mornings in fortnightly cycles, with the game's last major update being update 24.30 on May 2, which introduced the Star Wars event including skins for Darth Maul, Clone Troopers, Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker. But it's not unheard of for Fortnite updates to drop on a different day, or be delayed until a different day.
For example, when the Unreal Editor for Fortnite was introduced back in March, along with Fortnite Creative 2.0, that was released on a Wednesday, rather than a Tuesday. Similarly, update 24.30 was reportedly delayed by a week, in order to launch around May 4, also known as Star Wars Day. And back in January Fortnite update 23.20, the game's first major patch in 2023, was delayed from it's expected Tuesday release to the very next day, much like we're seeing with Fortnite update 24.40.
