Fortnite update v13.20: patch notes, flare gun details, new skins and how to update your game

The first major update since the beginning of Season 3 flooded the map is coming to Fortnite.

v13.20 of the popular battle royale game brings big changes, and went live on 30 June.

Here's everything you need to know about it:

What are the full patch notes?

It used to be that Fortnite developers Epic Games released full ‘patch notes’ alongside each update, detailing what’s new within the game.

But since the start of Chapter 2, they’ve opted to let players discover the new stuff for themselves, only releasing brief overviews of each patch to get players intrigued.

The full ‘patch notes’ for v13.20 then are as follows:

Hot New Weapon

- We've added some new flare to your arsenal

Deployable Workbench

- Easier access to upgrading and sidegrading is on the way

LTMs Are Back

- LTMs arrive this week for Season 3. We're starting with some fan favourites

A Hero Arrives

- A mighty arrival is coming to Item Shop this week. Stay tuned

How does the Flare Gun work?

Perhaps the biggest addition brought in with this week’s patch is the Flare Gun a new weapon that fits right in with Season 3’s nautical-ish theme.

Fans have long speculated about the existence of the gun all the way back in Chapter 1 of Fortnite, when mentions of the weapon were sniffed out in the game’s code.

For one reason or another, it never made it to the main game ‘proper’ until now.

The new weapon holds six cartridges at a time, and not only does its high-powered flare rounds cause 60 damage upon a direct hit, they also start fires which can burn through enemy structures.

What’s new with Upgrade Benches?

Previously, Fortnite’s Upgrade Benches were static fixtures that could be found all over the island, where players could upgrade weapons to higher levels of rarity.

Now though, hitting an Upgrade Bench with your harvesting tool will cause the bench to revert back into floor loot, which can be picked up and carried off, ready to be redeployed at a new location of your choosing.

What new skins are included?

It’s not yet been confirmed which new skins have been brought to the game with this latest update, but it’s thought that Epic’s mention of “a mighty arrival” could allude to the appearance of Captain America, who is expected to launch in time for the 4 July celebrations in America.

A new ‘Dad Bod’ Jonesy skin – reminiscent of Thor’s slightly portly physique from Avengers Endgame – is also expected to debut shortly.

What else is new?

Alongside a smattering of new content, Fortnite’s latest patch once again addresses a few bugs and issues, and should help in tightening up your experience in playing the game.

Here are all the tweaks made ‘behind-the-scenes’:

General

- ‘Lock Input Method as Mouse’ does not lock the input method

- Missing styles for the Specialist Pickaxe and Arroyo Pack Back Bling

- Rage Emote fire effect remaining on/near players

- Sandstorm Outfit missing hair

Battle Royale

- Party Assist Update

- Replays not saving on PlayStation 4

- Slow Glider speed after redeploying in certain situations

- XP bar can be visually incorrect while in a match

- Fall damage from Ziplines while landing in shallow water

- Epic & Legendary SMGs sometimes cannot be sidegraded

- Damaging Marauders counting towards storm surge

- Chug Splash does not heal when thrown inside of a bush

- Supply Drops may sometimes push loot under the map

How do I update the game?

Many gamers have their consoles set to install game updates automatically, so if you’re just now booting up your machine, it could be that you don’t need to do anything at all to jump into the latest version of Fortnite.

But for those who need to update manually, here’s a quick guide:

On Xbox One, press the Home button on your controller and select Games & Apps. From there, select Updates, and you should see a Fortnite tile appear. Select it, press the Menu button, and select Update.

PlayStation 4 players need to highlight Fortnite in the console’s main menu, press the Options button on your controller, and press Check For Updates. If there is an update, the game update will be put into your download queue and once completed, you will be informed by an on-screen message.

Nintendo Switch users should ensure their console is connected to the Internet, and from the HOME Menu, select the icon for the software you wish to update without starting the game or application. Press the + or - Button on your controller, then select Software Update followed by Via the Internet.

Of course, with Fortnite release patches and updates on a weekly basis, it’s highly advised you set up automatic updates on your console of choice, to streamline your experience.