Epic Games has unleashed a culinary catastrophe upon Fortnite’s latest iteration of Springfield thanks to the introduction of Donut Storms. This new environmental hazard turns the battle royale into a desert-themed minefield. As part of the monumental Simpsons season update, which went live on November 5, Homer Simpson‘s careless experimentation with a mysterious Zero Shard artifact has caused the island to be bombarded by massive donuts that pose a real hazard to unsuspecting gamers.
A new mechanic introduces random weather changes across the map, indicated by ominous purple clouds. When these storm zones turn on, gigantic donuts start to rain from the sky at relatively slow speeds, creating a chaotic environment that really demands heightened situational awareness. Anyone who gets caught beneath the falling pastries will take a lot of damage or be eliminated, which can force teams into changing their positioning and rotation strategies mid-match.
However, the phenomenon of a Donut Storm is far more than mere environmental damage: these events spawn very valuable loot drops, from weapons down to items, as rewards to those gamers fearless enough to plunge into the mayhem. So far, Epic Games has included Donut Storms in several story quests, asking players to survive inside the storm zone for 30 seconds, collect hazardous objects, and deal damage to opponents within the hazard.
The strategic implications are significant. In Zero Build modes, especially, the erratic patterns of the Donut Storms push players to break free from familiar cover patterns and into movement mechanics as they look up at the falling donuts. Paired with the new arsenal, the season introduces a Cartoon Chainsaw and an MO Five Gun.
Reception in the community has been decidedly mixed, with some players celebrating the absurdist humor and dynamic gameplay opportunities, while others express nostalgia for simpler environmental mechanics. Whatever the case may be, though, the Donut Storm represents Epic’s commitment to keeping Fortnite unpredictable throughout this beloved crossover season, which wraps up with a major live event scheduled for November 29.