Fortnite Season 6 goes Primal with wolves, pigs, and Lara Croft

It's new Fortnite Season day! As has become the norm, another interdimensional macguffin has cleared the way for a new wilderness to take over the island. Strap on your survival gear, because the theme for Season 6 is Primal, and there are some feral new residents on Epic's murder island.

Starting today, a new "Primal" biome has taken over much of Fortnite's map—a lovely, autumnal sprawl full of ancient new locations including "Boney Burbs" and "Colossal Crops". There is, also, that massive rock spire in the centre of the map, summoned at the end of Jonesy's singleplayer starter mission.

You'll be run through that mission on firing up Season 6 for the first time, following an introductory cinematic that pretty neatly sums up where Fortnite stands in 2021. Ellen Ripley runs over a gang of Terminators in a big rig, and the camera barely bats an eye. 

An entirely new crafting system has been introduced this season, letting you cobble together weapons (including new "primal" guns) by scavenging technology and animal parts from across the map. Yes, animal parts—a menagerie of feral wolves, boars, chickens and more has been introduced to Fortnite's wilds, ready to tamed or hunted for their innards.

Finally, there's a new Primal battle pass to pick up. The crossovers start immediately, with Lara Croft making her Fortnite debut in both her original 90s getup and a grittier, reboot-inspired look. There's also an upcoming collab with Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr that's being kept under wraps for the time being.

For more information on everything in Fortnite Season 6, Epic has the word.