The Ice King and The Foundation return to Fortnite in its new season: date, times, and everything we know

After an unexpected two-week delay, Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1 is coming to an end. Epic Games plans to continue the narrative of the game’s latest chapter by bringing back two major icons from previous stages: The Ice King and The Foundation. In this news article, we review everything we know about the new season of Fortnite, Chapter 7 Season 2, including the start date and times.

When does the new Fortnite season start? Chapter 7 Season 2 date and times

Epic Games has unveiled the first teaser for Chapter 7 Season 2 of the game on the official Fortnite account. It confirms that it will arrive on Thursday, March 19, 2026. “SHOWDOWN. 3.19” reads the text accompanying the tweet from the game’s Spanish account. Patch 40.00, which will bring all this new content, is expected to be available from 2:00 am ET. This date and time corresponds to the following in the United States:

• 2:00 am ET
• 1:00 am CT
• 11:00 pm PT

The teaser trailer reveals the return of two figures who have been fundamental to the game’s narrative for years. First, the focus is on The Ice King, who looks set to be the villain of the upcoming season. The frozen monarch has other characters in his private collection, such as The Prisoner—whom he has recaptured after his release—Orelia, a new Captain America who seems to be inspired by his World War II version, and last but not least... The Foundation.

The Foundation, voiced and modeled after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is the leader of The Seven, a peculiar superhero group that opposes both The Ultimate Reality and The Imagined Order. The former is an extradimensional force that poses a threat to all realities, while the latter, which has already been defeated, sought to seize control of Zero Point for its evil purposes. It remains to be seen how The Foundation fared in captivity under The Ice King... and how it will settle the score with the winter sovereign.

With the duel between The Ice King and The Foundation already on the table, everything points to Fortnite preparing for a season start with great narrative ambition, a good nostalgic hook, and several unknowns to be resolved from the very first minute. Now we just have to wait until March 19 to find out what surprises Epic Games has in store with patch 40.00. Will Fortnite’s Chapter 7 Season 2 be the long-awaited return to a more classic mission format where the plot carries more weight? We’ll find out in just over a week.

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