Fortnite Season 9 kicks off today, and the patch notes have been revealed. Check out the cinematic reveal trailer above, where the dark fate of banana man Peely is revealed. The highlights of Season 9, then: New locations like Neo Tilted and Mega Mall have emerged in the wake of the volcano's eruption, bringing the map some more futuristic-looking new locations to check out. Peely's Banana Stand and Nugget Hut are among the places to see. A new transportation system called Slipstreams are also a major part of this update, which let you travel around the map using streams of wind. Here's how Epic describes Slipstreams: These tunnels of wind passively carry players down the stream. Players can move faster and change direction when actively trying to move down the Stream. Use directional input to gain extra velocity. Experiment with bobbing up and down for higher speeds. Players can move faster and change direction when actively trying to move down the Stream. Use directional input to gain extra velocity. Experiment with bobbing up and down for higher speeds. Players are launched when exiting the tube based on their movement speed and exit angle. Projectiles and Vehicles can also enter the Slipstream. A new environmental item called Air Vents also provide players a boost across the map, with no damage penalty for doing so. A semi-automatic combat shotgun has been added to the game, too. Battle Pass owners can collect 100 of a new item called Fortbytes, which go some way to revealing the mysteries behind this season. Here's how Epic describes them: Fortbytes are a series of 100 collectible computer chips available to Battle Pass owners. As you collect Fortbytes, you’ll decrypt a mysterious image. Collect them all to unlock rewards and uncover the secrets of Season 9. On the first day of Season 9, there are 18 Fortbytes available to find. At least 1 new Fortbyte will be unlocked each day. Check the Challenges Tab for detailed information on which Fortbytes are currently available and when the others unlock. Fortbytes cannot be collected after Season 9 ends. Vaulted weapons and items include Clingers, Buried Treasure, Pump Shotgun, Poison Dart Trap, Scoped Revolver, Suppressed Assault Rifle, Thermal Assault Rifle, and balloons. Find the full list of patch notes here. Find all battle pass items here.<doc-sep>Fortnite Season 9 features a brand-new map full of interesting changes. Below, we'll recap all the notable details about Neo Tilted, Mega Mall, Pressure Plant and more. There are also a few smaller Easter eggs longtime fans of the game will appreciate. New Named Locations Mega Mall Since being destroyed by the Volcano late last week, Retail Row has been partially transformed into a new hotspot called Mega Mall. True to its name, it's a massive shopping center with about a dozen new stores to visit including Flush Factory Outlet, Junk for Cash Pawn, Scoops Ahoy, Sew What and a fully functioning Arcade.The crown jewel of Mega Mall, though, is the completely overhauled Pizza Pit that's been transformed into a multi-story eatery with lots of tables and plenty of space to move around. Pizza Pit takes up most of Mega Mall, but there are tons of tiny spaces for players to cram themselves into as well. This will undoubtedly be one of the hottest drop spots in Fortnite over the next few weeks. There's a lot going on, so be sure to visit the Mega Mall yourself. Neo Tilted Tilted Towers has enjoyed a major renovation as well, as many key locations have been removed or upgraded. The L apartments, Clock Tower and Garden House are gone, but they've been replaced by a bunch of new buildings including a massive Durr Burger Restaurant, a Peely's Banana Stand and what appears to be some kind of hotel. The Basketball Court is now a multi-story complex too. True to its ancestry, though, the mystery of Neo Tilted seems like it'll evolve throughout the remainder of Fortnite Season 9. There are a few buildings that are still under construction, which means we'll likely see something spring up in those spots in the weeks ahead. We'd also be remiss if we didn't bring up these new statues as well. Are these some kind of homage to the futuristic force that brought Neo Tilted to Fortnite? Pressure Plant Since its eruption, the residents of Fortnite land have found a rather clever use for the Volcano's energy. The mountain's peak has been hollowed out to reveal a new industrial complex that also features a dam to curb the flow of lava. All these wires and pipes suggest the magma is somehow being used to harness power, but the implications of that decision aren't clear. This is a fairly bland landing spot otherwise, but it's still a major map change for Season 9. Other Map Changes Slipstreams: Especially if you've polished off the Week 1 Challenges, you probably know what these are all about. Circular Slipstreams litter the entire map, and they act as large air currents that quickly push players from one place to another. These are large wind tunnels that facilitate fast travel. Sky Platforms: These are a bit like Supply Ships in Apex Legends. Using these floating structures, players have an opportunity to quickly gain a height advantage to redeploy their Gliders. You won't find too many rewards here, but they give you access to Slipstreams if you get stuck on the ground. The Tilted Towers Ruble: If you're looking for the remains of the old Tilted Towers, you can find them at Junk Junction. As seen below, here's the rubble of the iconic Tilted Clock Tower. It's not a huge map change, but it suggests that maybe the old Tilted could return someday. Wind Turbines: Adding to the litany of new Power sources on the map are these new Wind Turbines commonly found around Ziplines. There's not much to do here, but you can stand on top if you get some height. Vault Generator: Heading over to the Vault at Loot Lake, we now see that the Vault's power is being used to power Neo Tilted. Keep an eye on this spot, because things might get weird. New Block: The Block is now a nautical spot called MakaMakes_YT's block. A Wooden Fish: If you head to the Hot Springs by Lazy Lagoon, you'll see this big, wooden fish structure. This will likely be the focus of a Weekly Challenge at some point. Fortnite Season 9 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and mobile. What are your thoughts on the Fortnite Season 8 map? Are there any changes we missed? Tell us in the comments section!<doc-sep>Fortnite season nine has arrived. After the volcano erupting and the vault opening up for the first time, the map has changed in some significant ways and might be a little unrecognizable to you. While this isn’t as game-changing as season seven’s map changes, there are still some crazy things happening to our beloved island, including a quick trip to the future. Related Many of the locations you’ve come to know and love are now showing off a sweet neon cyberpunk aesthetic. General map overview While this isn’t as dramatic of a change as you would expect, there are some notable additions. There are a total of three new locations that are all reworks of previous places. There are also a ton of minor changes around the map like the addition of the sky platforms, some changes to Polar Peak, and more. Let’s go over all of the various changes that have occurred that you need to know about. Fortnite season 9 map: Neo Tilted Perhaps the biggest addition to the Fortnite island in season nine is the very quick return of Tilted Towers. Recently, the volcano was brewing something up in season eight, getting ready for an eruption. When it finally happened, it destroyed Tilted Towers and Retail Row. Now that we are in the “future”, it seems that Tilted Towers has not just been rebuilt but changed its look as well. It is now called Neo Tilted and features a futuristic neon cyberpunk aesthetic. A lot of the buildings are pretty similar from before, but now they have a slicker and more appealing style. It even includes some of the same buildings that were “under construction” from before, so it seems that even in the future, not much has changed in this ever-popular location. Tilted Towers continues to be one of, if not, the most popular location on the map. Fortnite season 9 map: Mega Mall Tilted Towers wasn’t the only location rebuilt in the future. Retail Row has recovered from the volcanic destruction and instead of having a town dedicated to retail, it now has a massive mall to explore. There are a couple of houses and buildings around, but the majority of Retail Row has been converted into the Mega Mall and its large parking lot. The Mega Mall has a few floors to explore, including a rooftop with vents that will blast you into the air if you need to get somewhere fast. There are numerous shops within the mall including the new Pizza Pit, the only real competitor to the beloved Durr Burger chain. As you would expect given its size and complex inner areas, there is a ton of loot around Mega Mall that you can find. Just a cursory glance around the area during a match gave us a couple of unopened treasure chests, despite there being a ton of players there. Fortnite season 9 map: Pressure Plant The third and final new location in the season nine map is the Pressure Plant area. This is the only truly new location as the volcano in season eight was never actually a named area. The volcano still exists with the Pressure Plant located inside of it, using the lava to produce power. You will still find lava south of Pressure Plant so you will need to be careful there and around the plant. It’s mostly one big structure for players to explore, and you will find plenty to explore in the plant and loot as well. This will likely be the least popular of the three new areas, so it is worth exploring during matches for some awesome weapons like the new combat shotgun. Fortnite season 9 map: Sky platforms Though this isn’t a new named location, there are multiple unnamed sky platforms that you can find around the island now. These sky platforms are similar to the expedition outposts from season seven and the pirate camps from season eight, both of which still exist in all of their glory. There are a total of seven sky platforms that you can discover, and they are all evenly distributed across the map. You will mostly find them near named locations like Dusty Divot, Paradise Palms, and Polar Peak. They are fairly large and identical to one another. They have a good bit of loot, making them great landing spots at the start of matches. Thankfully, if you don’t land on one of the sky platforms from the start, it’s not too hard to reach one from the ground. All seven of them have four slipstream pillars around them that you can run into to fly upward to the station. The sky platforms are also the star of our most recent challenge guide for the week one challenges, so be sure to check that out for all seven locations. Fortnite season 9 map: Slipstreams Slipstreams are a new form of natural travel that have popped up across the island, similar to the ziplines and volcano vents from the last two seasons. Unlike those, though, you will find slipstreams covering a massive portion of the map. There are three different slipstreams we have discovered. The first is this massive circle of wind centered around the middle of the map. It covers most of the central areas and if you jump in, it will fly you around the map. This is a great way to quickly travel to places you want to explore while still making it inside the circle in time. Both Neo Tilted and Mega Mall have slipstream paths of their own. Both named locations have a circular slipstream that goes around the location and also connects to the big circle in the middle. This makes travel between the two new locations and the rest of the map pretty easy, but you do want to be careful because you are vulnerable when traveling in this state. Last but not least, the final set of slipstreams are the ones we mentioned in our sky platforms guide. Each of the seven platforms has four slipstreams around them that travel vertically rather than horizontally and can be used as a lift to the sky before gliding to far away places. It is worth noting that vehicles can enter the slipstream too, so feel free to grab a Baller vehicle and jump inside for a trip of a lifetime. Fortnite season 9 map: Minor changes There are plenty of minor changes to the map that take some time to find. One of the most notable ones, though, is the massive crack in the ice wall that contains a good portion of Polar Peak. With summer quickly approaching, it’s possible we could see this burst open this season. Junk Junction hasn’t changed much, but there is a portion of the old Tilted Towers you can check out if you’re missing how things used to be. There is also a new mansion near Paradise Palms in the desert that bears some resemblance to John Wick’s mansion in the movie franchise. This is likely an intentional easter egg since a John Wick-like skin is one of the most famous in Fortnite. Loot Lake is mostly back to its old self after seasons of floating islands and other changes. The vault still exists at the center but the buildings are back on the western side and they have a more futuristic feel. The hilarious under construction shed near Salty Springs and Fatal Fields got a little upgrade but is still oddly unfinished. Another new addition is the wooden fish at the hot springs near Sunny Steps and Lazy Lagoon. We suspect that this will have something to do with a challenge in the future so stay tuned for that. Last but not least, there are a ton of new Fortbytes that you can find around the map and discover some intriguing surprises. It seems there’s around 100 in total, some related to challenges, but it looks to reveal a potential skin or some other unlock if you are able to get all 100 before the end of this futuristic season. 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The new start is upon us, and Fortnite Season 9’s map changes revamp some the island’s classic points-of-interest. The map was transformed after the volcano erupted, but Tilted didn’t stay destroyed for long. Runes started arriving at the vault door at Loot Lake and smoke was funnelling from the volcano before it erupted and devastated the map. Tilted Towers has been completely obliterated, and Retail Row and Polar Peak have been heavily damaged. Fortnite Season 9 map changes Neo Tilted It’s been a bit of a running rumour that Tilted Towers was going to be destroyed every season, but when it finally happened, the ruin didn’t last long. Tilted is back and bigger than ever, returning as the futuristic city of Neo Tilted. The design takes inspiration from countless classic anime and manga like Akira, which takes place in Neo-Tokyo. In terms of play, it’s sure to function a lot like the multi-levelled maze of corridors that was the original Tilted Towers, and we bet there’s more than a few new secret areas to uncover behind all of those bright lights and neon signs. The new Slip Streams – which work a bit like Volcano Vents, or the tubes in Futurama – running around the outside of the area add a new dimension to proceedings, not only allow you to get around quickly or escape, but also glide onto a rooftop to gain an advantage. Mega Mall Retail Row also gets a massive makeover, returning as the flashy Mega Mall. Of the two areas to get a major rework, Mega Mall seems to be the biggest shake up. Not only is it a huge new point-of-interest, but you can go inside the Mall and explore the shops, as well as attack from the open rooftop. Just like with Neo Tilted, there’s sure to be secret areas to uncover and a ton of great floor spawns to start your match. The mall area has a bit more too it than the old supermarket, and is sure to be a magnet for interested players over the weekend. Around the outside of Mega Mall is another load of Slip Steams, connecting the point-of-interest with others close by. Pressure Plant After a season out in the cold, the Volcano is finally a named location: Pressure Plant. This is no doubt a reference to its recent eruption, and a cool in-world way that the new cities of Neo Tilted and Mega Mall could be drawing their power. This area is similar to Dusty Divot before it was overgrown with plants, just with more lava. There’s actually quite a lot of loot to be had, and is quite popular, so try landing here for a lively start to a game. As well as the points-of-interest, there are new Sky Platforms dotted around the map which you have to visit for a Week 1 challenge. These aren’t the only things that are new with Fortnite Season 9, check out the trailer below for more. Watch on YouTube In the trailer you can see a lot of the new Battle Pass skins for Season 9. But to get your hands on those skins, you’ll need Battle Stars, and to get those you need to complete challenges. Here’s how to Visit the Sky Platforms around the map. When you’re done with that, you can also take a look at the new Fortbyte challenges and grab the item that’s only accessible by Sentinel on a frozen island.