Fortnite update 17.21 patch notes: New weapon, Rift Zones, Ariana Grande, more

Epic Games have got some exciting content in store for Fortnite update 17.21, including a new Mythic weapon, the potential return of Rift Zones with an alien-themed twist, and more. Here are all the details.

Fortnite update 17.20 introduced some new features, like the Bugha Late Game Bundle, Preferred Item Slots, and more. It was a bit of a letdown to fans who expected a little more. Fortunately, they’re about to get some more content in update 17.21.

The latest patch will finally add a new weapon to the game, which players have been dying to get their hands on. But it’s got some other potential surprising additions, including a countdown for a live event and more.

When is Fortnite update 17.21 releasing?

Fortnite update 17.21 is set to release on Tuesday, July 27. The servers will be taken down around 12:30 PT / 3:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM BST, and after a bit of downtime, the update will be available to download shortly after.

New Plasma Cannon weapon

A brand new Mythic weapon has been added to Fortnite: the Plasma Cannon, which was previously referred to in leaks as the Bad News gun.

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According to Epic’s description, this weapon launches a slow-moving energy ball that zaps nearby objects and destroys any buildings in its path, so it sounds like it could be pretty lethal in the right hands.

Live event countdown: Could it be Ariana Grande?

A new countdown timer has appeared on the Fortnite map, leaving players speculating what it could be leading up to.

Rumors have been floating around that an Ariana Grande skin and concert will be coming to the game soon, and it could happen in update 17.21. The anonymous leaker has been right about other things in the past, including the LeBron James skin. So, there’s every reason to believe they could be right again.

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Plus, considering Fortnite has already hosted hugely successful concerts from Travis Scott and Marshmello, it’s only a matter of time before a superstar like Ariana Grande makes a splash. And what better time than in the latest update?

Inflate-A-Bull re-enabled in competitive

The Inflate-A-Bull was disabled in competitive playlists due to a major bug that turned players invisible for the remainder of the match after interacting with it.

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However, Epic Games seem to have fixed the issue and confirmed it’s going to be re-enabled in Fortnite update 17.21.

Rail Gun gets nerfed

The Rail Gun is considered by many Fortnite players to be the most powerful weapon introduced in Season 7, but that could be about to change as some people have reported it being nerfed.

According to Fortnite star Muselk, the gun now only breaks a single wall and doesn’t hit anything behind it.

Rift Zones

According to a recent leak, Epic Games are going to re-introduce Rift Zones back into the game. However, they will have a fresh twist and reportedly work a little differently from how they did in previous Fortnite seasons.

Not only are they going to be created by the Mothership, but they’re also going to include everything from Low Gravity and Prop Disguise to Rift/Teleport and Ice Slides.

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HYPEX also claimed they’re not going to appear all at once and will instead appear in the order he listed as Epic Games slow-rolls the re-release. They could arrive mid-way through v17.21, or in the next update.

And that’s just about everything we know about Fortnite update 17.21 in the lead-up to its release. It’s a relatively minor patch in the grand scheme of things. However, it’s set to shake things up and help keep the game fresh.

Of course, more leaks are expected to spill out as the release draws closer. So, as always, we’ll update this article with more information once it’s available.