Epic has launched the first major patch for Fortnite’s ninth season. Hot Spots are the big new feature, as each match will now have a handful of named locations marked for increased loot drops. That sounds a lot like the Hot Zones on the Apex Legends map, and it seems that – like the Reboot Vans before – the Fortnite developers are taking some pretty direct inspiration from other games here.
On the map, you’ll now see randomly selected location highlighted in gold text. At least one Hot Spot will show up in each match, but there’s a 25% chance for two to appear, and a 5% chance for three. These locations will have a bunch of Loot Carrier drones, which you can shoot down for high-quality guns.
The Loot Carriers guarantee a weapon drop of at least Rare quality, and those drops come alongside two stacks of ammo. Each location, depending on its size, will have between 12 and 16 carriers, so there will be plenty of high-value gear for you and other players to fight over.
At the very least, this should let you know what areas to avoid if you’re looking for a quiet start to your match.
You can read the full patch notes on the official site. The Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle has been unvaulted, and the availability of both Shadow Bombs and Combat Shotguns have both been mildly reduced.
Related: Just which one is the best battle royale game?
We’ve got guides to the Fortbytes locations and Downtown Drop challenges if you’re looking for help this season. Whether you’re playing Fortnite or Apex Legends, the battle pass won’t level itself up.