Nitemare Island: Kado's Curse is Fortnite Reload's new season, and it starts on Thursday, October 8, 2026, during Fortnitemares 2026. Epic has announced a refreshed Nitemare Island run by Elite Kado Thorne, horror weapons with plenty of Siphon loot that gives you health back as you deal damage, all-new cosmetic rewards for Ranked and Map Mastery, and the Stranger Things and Squid Grounds maps joining Reload's rotation. Epic has given the day, not the hour.
What Epic has announced
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start | Thursday, October 8, 2026 (no time given) |
| Update | A new Reload season |
| Island | Nitemare Island, refreshed, with Elite Kado Thorne calling the shots |
| Loot | Horror weapons and "Siphon loot galore" that restores health as you deal damage |
| Rewards | All-new cosmetics for Ranked and Map Mastery |
| Rotation | The Stranger Things and Squid Grounds maps join it |
| Around it | Fortnitemares 2026, October 1 to November 1 |
A new Reload season
Reload is Fortnite's mode on smaller islands where you keep redeploying as long as one squadmate is still alive. Epic calls Kado's Curse "a new Season launch featuring all-new cosmetic rewards for Ranked and Map Mastery", with new gameplay and weapons. It follows Reload's Springfield season, which Epic wound down with the Steady Storm modifier, with no wait between storm phases, until Monday, October 5, at 7 a.m. ET.
Epic hasn't listed the new rewards yet, nor said how long the season lasts or whether Ranked starts over. This page adds them when Epic does.