Fortnite Festival Season 9 Delayed by a Day, Launches June 18

Epic Games recently surprised Fortnite fans by announcing a slight delay to the highly anticipated Season 9 of Fortnite Festival. The upgrade was supposed to go live on 17 June, but it has only been delayed by a day, which means it will be available on Wednesday, 18 June. No reason was given for the late change, but the move is out of character for Epic, which doesn’t usually announce minor changes to patch schedules in advance. The firm usually issues releases with very little fanfare, so that makes this public release is unusual.

Epic Delays Fortnite Festival Season 9 by One Day; Deadmau5 Likely Headliner for June 18 Launch

This is especially important as it comes at the beginning of the Festival season—a fixture in the calendar for months. Following the adjustment, the Sabrina Carpenter Festival pass schedule cycle will increase by a day, which will allow players extra time to complete any outstanding challenges.

One common reason for Tuesday-to-Wednesday update delays is the observance of a U.S. holiday on the preceding Monday. However, June 16 is not a recognized holiday. The adjustment may be related to Juneteenth, a U.S. federal holiday falling on Thursday, June 19. Epic may be choosing to observe the holiday earlier in the week to avoid midweek disruptions. As for what players can expect in Season 9, early rumors pointed to Daft Punk as the headlining act.

However, new in-game teasers suggest that Deadmau5 may instead take center stage. Posters featuring Deadmau5 have been spotted around the updated Battle Royale map—an approach Epic has previously used to hint at featured artists like Hatsune Miku and Sabrina Carpenter. While Epic hasn’t officially confirmed Deadmau5’s role, all signs point toward his appearance in the upcoming season. Despite the minor delay, Fortnite fans can still look forward to fresh music content, exclusive cosmetics, and new challenges when Season 9 of Fortnite Festival drops on June 18.

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