UFOs are abducting unlucky Fortnite players ahead of Season 7 update

Brad Norton
Fortnite Season 6 Aliens

After various teasers and leaks, we are finally drawing near to Fortnite’s Season 7 update as UFOs have started to appear on the map. Here’s how they work and what you need to be wary of.

With Season 6 starting to wind down, the next major Fortnite patch is just days away. Another epic kickoff event is roughly set for June 7 and early leaks have hinted at an alien takeover on the way.

While players were kept in the dark over the past few weeks, these leaks have finally come to light. The first UFOs were spotted in-game on June 2 as players were lifted off the ground and abducted by the alien vehicle.

From how rare they are to what they actually do, here’s everything you need to know about UFOs in Fortnite.

How do UFOs work in Fortnite?

The community was stunned by the first appearance, but it didn’t take long for players to figure out how UFOs function. While they may seem like a threat at first, the Alien Abductions surprisingly come with some positive effects.

They start with a fairly low spawn rate of just 10% in the first zone. As each circle progresses, however, the chance of a UFO spawning only goes up. In the final zone, it’s an outright guarantee that one will appear if it hasn’t already.

UFO spawn rate in Fortnite

Zone Chance of a UFO spawning
Zone 1 10%
Zone 2 20%
Zone 3 40%
Zone 4 80%
Zone 5 100%

UFO effects in Fortnite

As soon as they show up, the UFOs will randomly select an abductee. This chosen target is given three seconds of warning and the process of ‘beaming’ them up takes just two seconds. 

In total, a whopping 20 players can be taken into the UFO at any given time. This means they can abduct individuals as well as entire squads all at once. Rather than ending your run, however, UFOs actually come with some upsides.

If you happen to be low on health or shields, finding an alien ship and being abducted will heal you right back up to 100.

In the blink of an eye, the UFO will spit you back out at a seemingly random Fortnite location: no harm done.

There’s no telling how long UFOs might be around just yet. They could be here to ease us into Season 7, or they could even be a permanent fixture altogether.

We’ll just have to wait & see how things pan out with Fortnite’s next big update.

About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com