Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1: Five highlights from the new map

Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1 began on November 30 and is already surprising players with some big improvements. Not only are there some improved gameplay elements and new items in the free-to-play battle royale title, but the map has been completely transformed into one that’s inspired by Los Angeles and the Hollywood area.

Those who sign up for the Fortnite Battle Pass will be able to earn skins of The Bride from the Kill Bill movies, as well as Marty McFly from the Back to the Future franchise. There’s plenty to like in this new Chapter already. With this in mind, we’re going to highlight five of the best areas in the map you should start visiting.

Battlewood Boulevard is the main area of Chapter 7 Season 1’s new map, where players can climb up to the sign inspired by Hollywood, collecting new items and weapons as soon as a match begins. Across this section, you’ll find new weapons like the Arc Lightning Gun that can quickly subdue your opponents, as long as you focus your aim on them.

What makes Battlewood Boulevard a highlight is how different this location is from previous chapters. From hot air balloons to a theatre where you can watch Yuki’s Revenge, a new chapter in the Kill Bill movie franchise, some spots even remind you of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Ultimately, it’s a fun location that will likely keep you exploring what else it has to offer.

One surprise of Fortnite’s new chapter is the appearance of hot air balloons. At first, they didn’t seem like they could be used, until players realised that each of these goes down set routes, letting many players jump onto them and be taken to different places on the map.

However, what also makes them a location highlight is how well they can be used as a sniper spot. Using the new Vengeful Sniper Rifle on a hot air balloon allows players to easily spot and eliminate opponents, then transport them to a different location to complete an objective. Unexpected but very fun, these hot air balloons are already a memorable vehicle in Season 1 of Fortnite Chapter 7.

In the bottom-right of the new map in Chapter 7 Season 1, Classified Canyon showcases its name by having a hidden base, seemingly inspired by the real-world location of Nevada’s Area 51. After pressing buttons on a few doors and going down several ziplines, you’re brought deep into the underground of the base, where strange things start to happen.

As you open rare chests and pick up legendary Chapter 7 weapons like assault rifles and dual-shotguns, you’ll touch some green goo that will make your character invisible. In addition, you’ll also spot a UFO with a Banana pilot and some audio logs to collect. It’s a strange moment, but it could hint towards what Season 2 may bring to Chapter 7 someday.

Taking inspiration from the old theatres from long ago, Golden Reel can be found at Battlewood Boulevard, where players can run in and grab weapons and items from the chests found in the foyer. But what makes Golden Reel memorable is the ability to watch the ‘Yuki’s Revenge’ video, a lost chapter of the Kill Bill movie series.

After being unveiled on November 30 to mark Chapter 7 Season 1’s release, players can now visit Golden Reel on their own or with others and watch the short film. In addition, the theatre can be great for close-quarter combat, especially as you look at the movie posters and more, scattered across the theatre. It’s a great showcase for the new chapter, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we see more new videos premiere here in the future.

TipTop Terrace is a great example of a new location that feels like it’s been in Fortnite for many years. Allegedly inspired by Humboldt County in Northern California, players can explore the vast areas of forests with cabins and redwood trees that almost bring you back to exploring the wooded areas of 2004’s GTA: San Andreas.

The location is also a testament to how far Fortnite’s graphics engine has advanced since 2017. Running through foliage and past waterfalls has never looked so good, and regardless of which console or mobile device you play the game on, TipTop Terrace is a great example of how good the game looks on any system in 2025.

Chapter 7 Season 1 of Fortnite is already making an impression on players, and the stats prove that. With roughly three million players logging onto the game since the new chapter’s launch on November 30, it’s clear that the new map and gameplay changes are proving to be a big hit already.

With the Hollywood-inspired map, players can fight in forests, across highways, and in theatres, making it a breath of fresh air compared to recent seasons in Fortnite’s Chapter 6. These highlights only showcase how good the map already is. As this version of the map is reportedly staying until March 2026, we won’t be surprised if we see more seismic changes to the map for players by then.