Fortnite v36.00 Patch Notes: Season 3 Hero Ranks, Boons and Items

Hitting trickshots and shotgun pumps is great, but sometimes superpowers are better than superhuman reflexes. Fortnite will soon shift its focus to ability usage and intense Hero Rank character scaling. Season 3's v36.00 Patch Notes are here, including new Weapons, Ability Boons and more. Let's explore how the update (and its Hero Rank system) works and if its impact can completely change the Fortnite meta.
How Do Fortnite's Hero Ranks Work?
Becoming a superhero is no easy task. Oftentimes, the requirements include being subject to a science experiment gone wrong, utilizing arcane magic or suffering a tragic backstory. Luckily, Fortnite Season 3's Hero Rank process is much simpler and has clear steps.
Players start every Season 3 Fortnite match with a C Hero Rank. Performing missions helps boost their prestige, and heroes can scale through the following letter grades: C, B, A, S and S+. If players are in a squad, they will all share Hero Rank progress. Each step up provides Ability Boons and rewards in a Hero Cache:
- Rank C: Uncommon Weapon, Uncommon Consumable. Low Boon chance.
- Rank B: Rare Weapon, Rare Consumable. High Boon chance.
- Rank A: Epic Weapon, Epic Consumable. Guaranteed Boon. Hero Item.
- Rank S: Legendary Weapon, Legendary Consumable. Gauranteed Boon. Epic Hero Item.
At Rank S+, players earn every Ability Boon they do not currently have. Their existing Boons also gain upgrades.
Fortnite Hero Rank Missions
Epic Games describes actions that boost Hero Rank as "heroic deeds." Specifically, these include delivering Sprites to shrines, securing kills on players and NPC Henchmen and surviving the Storm. However, more undiscovered pathways may exist.
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Ability Boons
Season 3 includes 4 main Ability Boons that directly affect combat. They also become more powerful as the player's Hero Rank scales:
- "Storm Caller Boon: Replenishes Shield while in the Storm, with the amount replenished going up with each Hero Rank. Gives Storm Forecast at Rank S."
- "Speed Healer Boon: Sprint while using healing items and gain Slap afterwards, with the duration of Slap increasing with each Hero Rank. Gain Slap immediately when using a healing item at Rank S."
- "Combat Acrobat Boon: Parkour (mantling, etc.) partially reloads your equipped weapon, and the amount reloaded goes up with each Hero Rank. Reloads all your weapons at Rank S."
- "Heightened Senses Boon: Players who attack you are marked, and the duration they’re marked increases with each Hero Rank. Its cooldown is lowered at Rank S."
Fortnite Season 3 Hero Items
Hero Items bring ability use to Season 3, emphasizing fast movement and AOE attacks. Let's quickly explore each:
- Myst Gauntlets: These deal an expanding damage cone to nearby enemies.
- Killswitch Revolvers: Dual pistols which have area-scanning and ping abilities. They also let owners view enemy tracks.
- Bass Boost: Creates damaging soundwaves that can also destroy structures. Players can use this to double-jump into the air.
Some Hero Items will not arrive until later in Season 3. These include:
- Surf Cube: Essentially a hoverboard that serves as a mobility item.
- Storm Beast's Pom Poms: This set allows users to transform into a beast, dealing AOE slam damage.
- Myst Form: Players can transform into a raven to travel and escape duels (similar to Hela's ability in Marvel Rivals). It can combine with Myst Gauntlets to become Ascended Myst with damage increases and invulnerability.
Fortnite Season 3 New Weapons
Season 3 also offers various high-tech weaponry upgrades:
- Spire Rifle: A large-mag LMG with structural damage.
- Hyperburst Pistol: A Glock-style pistol with some recoil. Shoots in "3-round bursts."
- Deadeye DMR: a more precise, long-range rifle.
- Unstable Yoink Shotgun: If players hit an enemy with the first shot in its mag, the shotgun will pull the target towards you.
- Unstable Voltage Burst Pistol: The first and last bullets in a clip create AOE shock impacts where they land.
- Unstable Frostfire Shotgun: Every successful shot on an enemy will either grant the player a Pepper effect or slow the target down.
The Unstable Weapon Line is only available through Hero Rank S loot caches and the Academy Tech Lab.
New Map Locations and the Academy Tech Lab
Supervillains have placed the Fortnite Island in peril. Luckily, there's a new home base for superheroes. The Supernova Academy trains players to master their powers and includes an Academy Tech Lab with Hero Rank-specific loot. Nearby Utopia City is a polished urban environment with lush greenery and high-tech billboards. Finally, the Demon's Domain hosts evil henchmen and a massive castle.
Other Changes:
Here's a quick summary of smaller v36.00 updates:
- New Sprite Types: The Dash Sprite will grant 3 dash charges to all nearby players, and the Superman Sprite can melt surroundings with its laser-eye powers.
- Daigo the Mask Maker: Daigo has returned from the magic realm as a corrupted entity and is the Season's supervillain. Killing him grants a Mythic Enhanced Spire Rifle and Infernal Defense Medallion with buffs.
- Kor: Daigo's second-in-command Kor is also a boss enemy. She grants Kor's Deadeye DMR and the Shrouded Striker Medallion.
- Krypto Companion: Players can summon Superman's dog sidekick Krypto using a Krypto Treat.
- Robin's Grapnel Gun: A new Grappler format.
For the original Patch Notes, check Epic Games' release here.
What Does Season 3 Mean for Fortnite Esports?
More Movement
SEASON 3 MECHANICS & MYTHICS TRAILER
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) June 7, 2025
(via @djlorenzouasset & @BeastFNCreative)pic.twitter.com/OiI5r3E1Yh
Fortnite is already movement-heavy compared to other FPS games. Dives are essential to combat since collecting loot from early-game engagements allows easy snowballing, and the large Island map means players rely on mobility items to close the distance with opponents.
Movement will be crucial as Season 3 introduces Boons. Speed Healer and Combat Acrobat allow players to heal and reload their weapons while sprinting and performing parkour, which rewards a burst damage combat style instead of long-term brawls and provides easy escape opportunities. Attackers must strategize before entering engagements since more enemies will recognize disadvantageous fights, choose to leave and reset. Plus, the new Bass Boost and Stormbeast's Pom Poms items deal AOE damage, so players can't rely on rat corners and have to scramble out of the blast radius.
Greater Objective Importance, Early-Game Snowballing and Scaling
One key difference in Fortnite Season 3 is its emphasis on character scaling rather than simple looting. Players who previously relied on weapon advantages will struggle if they can't actively participate in the game and make an impact. Since kills add Hero Rank power, players can snowball throughout the early game without necessarily relying on skill and aim.
However, adding a scaling pathway also introduces more comeback opportunities: unlucky squads who don't land near good items can strategically regain footing by delivering Sprites, surviving the Storm and eliminating Henchmen even if they fail to win duels.
Late Game
While Hero Rank scaling will probably make early and mid-game more threatening, late-game matchups will become more skill-dependent as Hero Ranks even out. The pressure is on for snowballing teams to hunt down their opponents early, because every second they survive helps them close the existing power gap.
Ability Use
Fortnite is on a unique genre precipice. The Battle Royale has traditionally relied on FPS mechanics, but its recent updates have introduced non-weapon Abilities. Players have enjoyed using the Force to push enemies around and blasting the Shockwave Hammer. Season 3 fully embraces a new ability-shooter concept, and this is no coincidence: Fortnite's FPS competitor, VALORANT, has heavily leaned into ability usage after strict 'precise gunplay' roots, and hero-shooter Overwatch introduced scaling options like Stadium Mode to player acclaim. Marvel Rivals, another title available on Epic Games, also saw smashing success for its ability battles. Fortnite's new Myst Form Hero Item notably resembles Hela's bird transformation.
The Tournament Scene
Epic Games hasn't commented yet on which Fortnite Season 3 abilities will show up in the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) and other circuits. It's entirely possible FNCS could ban some limited-time abilities that drastically alter gameplay — for example, previous tournaments in Fortnite Galactic Battle prohibited the TIE Fighter and X-Wing.
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