TH · Live timer · reviewed 2026-10-27
Fortnite Map Rotation
What Reload map is on right now, how many minutes until it changes, and which island is next. Reload rotates every 20 minutes— Nitemare Island, Squid Grounds, then Stranger Things (Ranked and Unranked share the pool after Epic’s v42.40 notes) — and this page tracks it live so you don't have to open the lobby to check. What Reload is, vs BR and Blitz, lives on the Reload mode page.
What is Reload · Map evolution · Interactive BR map · Creative codes · Season countdown · All tools
Fortnite Reload map rotation times
Reload slots are tied to minutes past the hour, so the schedule is identical in every region and timezone. If it is :25 where you are, Squid Grounds is live everywhere.
| Time slot | Map | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| :00 – :20 | Nitemare Island | Fortnitemares / Kado’s Curse — Terror Turrets, The Hunt |
| :20 – :40 | Squid Grounds | Squid Game collab island — post Oct 15–19 takeover |
| :40 – :00 | Stranger Things | Hawkins crossover — shared Ranked / Unranked pool |
Three maps × 20 minutes means a full cycle takes one hour and then repeats, 24/7. There is no daily reset and no regional offset. Epic announces the pool; exact slot order is community-aligned — trust the lobby if it disagrees.
Reload maps in the current rotation
Nitemare Island — live at :00
Fortnitemares / Kado’s Curse island. Expect The Hunt match modifier, Terror Turrets, and Nitemare-only Siphon weapons (Gatekeeper still drops here after the general Reload vault). Best queue if you are chasing Map Mastery or Halloween loot.
Squid Grounds — live at :20
Squid Game collab island. It ran alone for the Oct 15–19 exclusive weekend, then returned to the normal three-map rotation with Nitemare Island and Stranger Things.
Stranger Things — live at :40
Hawkins crossover Reload island. Epic briefly swapped it for Oasis earlier in Fortnitemares, then put it back — it is in both Ranked and Unranked under the current pool.
How to play a specific Reload map
- Check the timer above for the map you want and how long until it starts.
- Open Fortnite and go to Discover → Reload (Solo, Duo, Trio, Squads, or Zero Build — Ranked uses the same map pool).
- Queue inside that map's 20-minute window. Matches started before a swap finish on the old island.
- If you queue in the last minute or two of a slot, you may load into the next map instead — leave a small buffer.
Maps that could return to the rotation
Epic swaps Reload islands in and out across patches. These were live recently (or earlier in Chapter 7) and may come back:
- Oasis — Desert hotel hub / Paradise Palms-style island — previous autumn pool
- Slurp Rush — Chapter 2 Slurp island — Slurpy Swamp, Steamy Stacks, Dirty Docks
- Springfield — The Simpsons Reload island — The Confidential, 50-player lobbies
- Surf City — Coastal summer island — left when Squid Grounds returned (15 Oct)
- Venture — Original Reload island — Chapter 1 Tilted, Pleasant, Retail
- Elite Stronghold — Competitive-focused Reload arena from spring 2026
Fortnite Blitz map rotation
Blitz Royale is the 32-player, no-build, fast-storm mode. It uses the same one-map-at-a- time idea as Reload, but with a shorter 10-minute slot when more than one island is enabled. Right now Blitz is running a single map, so the Blitz tab above shows the live island without a switch countdown. Past Blitz islands include Starfall Island and Stark Island.
Why Fortnite rotates maps instead of letting you pick
Reload and Blitz islands are much smaller than the Battle Royale map, and both modes rely on quick re-queues. If every island were selectable at once, the player base would split across playlists and queue times would climb — especially in smaller regions and off-peak hours. A timed rotation keeps a single healthy queue while still cycling favourites like Nitemare Island and Squid Grounds through every hour.
Frequently asked questions
What Fortnite Reload map is on right now?
The live map depends on the current minute of the hour. Nitemare Island is live from :00 to :20, Squid Grounds from :20 to :40, and Stranger Things from :40 to :00. The timer at the top of this page shows the active island and the exact minutes and seconds remaining. Ranked and Unranked share this pool.
How often do Fortnite Reload maps change?
Reload maps rotate every 20 minutes on a clock-aligned schedule, so each map in the pool goes live once per hour. When the timer hits zero, the next island takes over immediately.
What maps are in the Fortnite Reload rotation?
As of Epic’s Reload v42.40 notes (after 19 Oct 2026), the shared Ranked / Unranked pool is Nitemare Island (Kado’s Curse / Fortnitemares), Squid Grounds, and Stranger Things. Oasis, Slurp Rush, Springfield, Surf City, and Venture have rotated before and can return later.
Is the Reload map rotation the same in Ranked and Unranked?
Yes for the current pool. Epic’s v42.40 notes put Nitemare Island, Squid Grounds, and Stranger Things in both Ranked and Unranked — you do not need to switch playlists just to reach one of those three islands.
Is the Reload map rotation the same in every region?
Yes. The rotation is synchronised globally to clock minutes, so when Nitemare Island is live in NA East it is live in EU and OCE too. Minutes past the hour are the same in every timezone, so the schedule works no matter where you play.
Can I choose which Reload map I play?
No. Epic keeps a single Reload map live at a time so matchmaking stays fast instead of splitting players across islands. To play a specific map, check this timer and queue during that map’s 20-minute window.
How long is each Fortnite Reload map live?
Each map is live for 20 minutes. With three maps in the pool, a full rotation cycle takes 60 minutes and then repeats, 24 hours a day.
When is Nitemare Island live in Fortnite Reload?
Nitemare Island is the first slot every hour — :00 to :20. Queue early if you want The Hunt / Kado’s Curse mechanics and Nitemare-only Siphon loot; matches started in the last minute of Stranger Things can still load into that island.
Does Fortnite Blitz Royale rotate maps?
When Epic enables more than one Blitz map they usually rotate every 10 minutes. Blitz is currently running a single island, so the Blitz tab shows the live map with no switch timer.
Is this Fortnite map rotation timer accurate?
Epic does not publish a public rotation API, so this timer uses the same clock-aligned slots community trackers use against the announced v42.40 pool. It stays accurate as long as the pool is unchanged. If Epic swaps an island or changes the duration in a patch, we update the schedule — trust the in-game lobby if the two ever disagree.
More Fortnite tools
- Interactive Fortnite map
Live Treasure Hunters POIs, loot ratings, chests, and Extraction Sites.
- Zone timer
Storm wait and shrink timings so you know when to rotate.
- Creative map codes
XP maps, box fights, 1v1s, deathruns, and tycoons.
- Season countdown
Live countdown to the end of Treasure Hunters.
Pool based on Epic Reload v42.40 community notes (Nitemare Island, Squid Grounds, Stranger Things for Ranked + Unranked after 19 Oct 2026). Clock slots are community-aligned — Epic does not publish a public rotation API. Not affiliated with Epic Games. If the in-game lobby disagrees with this page, trust the lobby.