Fortnite Ranked returns on December 4, 2025, after a brief hiatus that started with the launch of Chapter 7 Season 1. The competitive mode will go live again at around 9 a.m. ET, while other fan-favorite playlists like Blitz Royale and Reload also make their return.
After Chapter 7’s launch left ranked players without their primary competitive outlet, Epic Games has announced Ranked’s comeback with exciting incentives. This is strategically timely, seeing as the developer is launching the prestigious $1 million Unreal Cup tournament series immediately following Ranked’s return. This represents a significant investment in the competitive ecosystem and signals Epic’s commitment to ranked integrity.
That means the Road to Unreal tournament series begins on December 5, 2025, and runs until December 21. Duos will be able to play in daily Ranked Cups as a way to rank up into the most elite tier in Fortnite‘s Ranked system. Reaching Unreal will be required for entry into the Unreal Cup Finals on December 20, so these weeks are very important for those looking to become competitive players.
Although details are a little hazy, Epic Games did tease the release of a revamped ranked system, known as Ranked 2.0, at the 2025 Fortnite Global Championship. This reworked ranked competitive mode attempts to deliver on community requests for the classic ranked format to have more at stake, with more consequential modes such as Blitz and Reload garnering more attention than standard ranked playlists.