Fortnite patch 7.40 landed with the kind of seismic impact fans have come to expect from Epic Games’ mid-season updates. Hype had been building for weeks, fuelled by cryptic teasers, data miner leaks, and a community hungry for fresh content. When the servers finally came back online, players found a game transformed: a new respawn-enabled mode, a classic weapon added to the arsenal, long-awaited account merging, and a romantic Valentine’s event all dropped at once. Whether you’re a competitive grinder or a casual dropper, this patch reshaped the Fortnite experience in meaningful ways. Here’s everything you need to know about what changed and what it means for your next trip to the island.
New Game Mode: Driftin’
The headliner of patch 7.40 is Driftin’, a limited-time mode that pushes the new Driftboard to centre stage. Unlike standard battle royale, Driftin’ gives every player a Driftboard from the moment they land, and respawning is enabled for a set period at the start of each match. This means aggressive, reckless play is rewarded; you can charge into fights knowing you’ll get another chance if things go wrong. The mode also tweaks the storm to close in faster, keeping matches tight and action-packed. Driftboards handle like snowboards, allowing for tricks, quick rotations, and even shooting while riding, turning every hillside into a potential flank route. Two teams face off in a race to eliminate opponents and be the last ones standing, and with infinite respawns early on, the final circles become intense, high-skill shootouts.
Mastering the Driftboard
If you haven’t used the Driftboard much, Driftin’ is your perfect training ground. The board’s ability to carry two players means you can ferry a downed teammate out of the storm or pull off coordinated ambushes. Use boost sparingly on open ground but don’t be afraid to launch off ramps for aerial shots. Remember, you can still build while riding, so ramp up to gain height before switching to glider redeploy for long-distance rotations. The mode is a love letter to mobility and chaos, and it’s available for a limited time only, so jump in while you can.
New Weapon: Infantry Rifle
Patch 7.40 introduces the Infantry Rifle, a hitscan, semi-automatic weapon that rewards precision. Available in Common, Uncommon, and Rare variants, it deals 41, 43, and 45 damage per shot respectively, with a headshot multiplier that can end a fight in three taps. It uses medium ammo and has no damage falloff, making it viable at any range. The trade-off is a slow rate of fire and a 10-round magazine, demanding controlled, well-placed shots. The Infantry Rifle feels like a spiritual successor to the classic Scoped AR without the scope; it’s a laser for those who trust their aim. It fills a niche between assault rifles and snipers, offering a high skill-ceiling option for mid to long-range engagements. Expect to see it replacing the Thermal Scoped AR in many loadouts, especially among players who favour precision over spam.
Where to Find It
The Infantry Rifle can be found in floor loot, chests, Supply Drops, and vending machines. Its spawn rate is generous enough that you won’t struggle to try it out. In competitive playlists, it may become a staple for players who hold high ground and want to pick off opponents before they can close the gap.
Map Changes: The Thaw Continues
Season 7’s gradual defrosting reaches a new stage in 7.40. The massive ice block south of Polar Peak has partially melted, revealing the castle that once held the Ice King. While the interior remains locked, the exterior is now accessible, offering new sightlines and loot pathways. Elsewhere, the frozen lake near Greasy Grove has fully thawed, opening a watery expanse that alters rotations. Small environmental details, like melting snowmen and receding snowbanks, hint at the seasonal shift toward whatever Season 8 will bring. The map feels dynamic and alive, rewarding explorers who revisit old haunts to find new angles to hold.
Earthquakes: A Sign of Things to Come
Following the patch, players began experiencing random in-game earthquakes, complete with screen shakes and rumbling audio. These quakes cause no damage but serve as an ominous portent of the rumoured volcano eruption expected in Season 8. Keep an eye on those fissures appearing around the island; they’re not just for show.
Valentine’s Day Event: Royale Hearts
Love is in the air, and Epic is celebrating with the Royale Hearts event. From now until late February, complete special challenges to unlock exclusive rewards. The highlight is the new “Heartspan” glider, a stylish contraption that sprouts pink wings as you deploy. There are also themed wraps, emotes, and back bling up for grabs. The event encourages you to play with friends, as several challenges require reviving teammates or dealing damage in duos or squads. The Limited Time Mode “Close Encounters” also makes a return, limiting weapons to shotguns and jetpacks, adding a chaotic, romantic twist to firefights. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to squad up with your special someone (or a random from Discord), this is it.
Event Challenges and Rewards
Completing all Royale Hearts challenges will earn you a total of two wraps, one emote, one glider, and a back bling. The tasks are straightforward: play matches, place top 10 in duos, revive five teammates, and deal 200 damage with shotguns. You can track progress in the event tab. Don’t sleep on these, as event cosmetics rarely return to the shop.
Account Merging Finally Arrives
Perhaps the most requested feature since cross-play became a thing, account merging is now live with patch 7.40. If you played Fortnite on multiple platforms before account linking was seamless (say, PlayStation and Switch), you can now combine your V-Bucks, cosmetics, and battle pass progression into one primary account. The process is handled through Epic’s website, where you designate a primary account (the one you want to keep) and secondary accounts to absorb. Note that merging is permanent and irreversible, so double-check your choices. This is a huge win for players who split time across platforms and accumulated different seasonal items on separate profiles.
How to Merge Your Accounts
Visit the Epic Games account merge page, log in to your primary account, and follow the instructions. You’ll need access to the email addresses linked to each account. The process can take up to a fortnight, during which cosmetics and V-Bucks will be transferred. There are some restrictions: legacy items from certain platforms may not carry over, and progress from secondary accounts (like battle pass tiers) isn’t added, only items. Still, having your rare skins from one account show up alongside your OG Battle Pass items from another is the dream.
Performance, Audio, and Quality of Life
Epic continues to polish the game under the hood. Patch 7.40 brings optimisations for consoles, including improved frame pacing on Nintendo Switch and reduced load times on all platforms. Audio gets a boost too: enemy footsteps are now more distinct, and the directional audio for gunfire has been refined to help pinpoint shooters. Several bugs were squashed – the pickaxe animation glitch and the disappearing crosshair after editing are finally gone. Building feels snappier, with a fix for the 0.05-second delay that veteran players had been complaining about. These changes might not grab headlines, but they cumulatively make Fortnite feel more responsive and fair.
Overtime Challenges and Season 8 Hype
With Season 8 just around the corner, patch 7.40 kicks off the Overtime Challenges. These tasks allow Battle Pass owners to earn additional styles for their Season 7 skins, including Master Key, Lynx, and Zenith. The challenges range from dealing damage with specific weapons to outlasting opponents, and completing them unlocks the coveted “Spectral” and “Mint” variants. It’s a last chance to squeeze every drop of value from your battle pass before the reset. More importantly, the Overtime challenges often include lore tidbits or hints about the next season, so keep an eye on challenge descriptions for clues about where the story is headed.
Patch 7.40 is a classic Fortnite update: ambitious, packed with content, and designed to keep the community buzzing. From the high-octane Driftin’ mode to the precision of the Infantry Rifle, the long-awaited account merge to the sweet rewards of Royale Hearts, there’s something here for everyone. The evolving map and rumbling earthquakes only add to the anticipation for what’s next. Dive back in, adapt to the new meta, and start chasing those victories – the island won’t be the same for much longer.
