The personal fortress of Fortnite’s cross-reality warriors, the Elites, arrived in Reload with the Elite Stronghold map. In this story, we’ll explain the Elite Stronghold’s layout, including high-traffic areas, its new weapons and rewards, and the gameplay impacts to help you adjust your strategies and dominate the map. 

As its name implies, Fortnite: Reload is a mode where getting eliminated doesn’t mean the game is over. Provided that at least one of your teammates remains alive, you’ll rejoin the fight. And while you remain alive, every opponent you and your squad eliminates will reboot your teammates faster. The end of the match brings a twist: The time for reviving ends, and eliminations become permanent. (You’ll see a countdown underneath your minimap as that time approaches.) You can play Reload solo, as a duo, and in four-player squads. No matter how you play, you can choose between Build and Zero Build variants in this highly competitive game. 

Layout changes 

For a couple of weeks after its release, Elite Stronghold was the exclusive map in Reload. After v40.30’s release on April 30, 2026, Elite Stronghold joins the rotation alongside the Venture and Slurp Rush maps. 

Elite Stronghold has five points of interest (POIs): 

• Chiseled Cubes, located in the center of the map.
• Elite Armory, located in the southeast of the map.
• Elite Experiments, located in the southwest of the map.
• Hostile Hold, located in the north of the map.
• Top Tier Training, located in the east of the map.

Given Elite Stronghold is a smaller map, each of the five areas above is likely to be a high-traffic zone swarming with players on the hunt for loot and opponents. 

Elite Stronghold also includes revamped Map Mastery Quests. The first tier of new Map Mastery quests require you to eliminate 30 players in each of Reload’s maps—Elite Stronghold, Venture, and Slurp Rush. You’ll earn 10,000 XP for each. 

Complete them, and you’ll unlock rewards themed around the very Elites that the map is named for. Those include: 
 

• Sprays: Jules the Fixer & Determined Daigo Sprays
• Emoticons: Stay Elite & Git Gud Emoticons
• Wrap: Elites Issue Wrap
• Emote: Re-Loading

The related Elite Stronghold quests allow you to unlock the Elite Stronghold Key Art to use as your loading screen, too. 

New and unvaulted weapons

Elite Stronghold also brings new weapons and unvaulted weapons—armaments that were once available, then sent away to the vault, and are now making a comeback. 

New weapons include: 

• Cube Rifle, which can fire a rail beam as its primary fire and a cube that you can detonate as its secondary fire. The primary fire is ideal for opponent damage, while the secondary fire excels at opponent damage and destroying builds. 
• Cube Splitter, which is an SMG that covers enemies with cubes that attach to enemies and detonate in an automatic explosion. The high rate-of-fire weapon is set for arrival in v40.30, the same update in which Elite Stronghold becomes part of a three-map rotation.. 

Unvaults include:

• Gatekeeper Shotgun, a quick-firing, high-damage shotgun with a relatively small magazine, designed for close-range combat. 
• Holo Twister Assault Rifle, a fully automatic AR for medium and long-range encounters, thanks to its included scope. It makes its first appearance in Reload alongside Elite Stronghold. 
• Seven Power Gloves, melee weapons that allow players to punch, dash directionally, and dash coupled with an uppercut. They’re notable for their ability to improve traversal, in addition to their offensive capabilities. 

Renewed Reload Rank rewards

Alongside the introduction of Elite Stronghold, Reload Ranks were reset. All players now have a new ladder to climb and Reload Ranked Rewards to earn, including: 

• Gold: Tough Triggerfish Spray
• Platinum: Banner Icon
• Diamond: Triggerfish Alert Emoticon
• Elite: Reloaded Seven Axe Pickaxe
• Champion: Daigo’s Tech Wrap
• Unreal: Charged Pickaxe

And if you win a Victory Royale in Ranked or Unranked, you’ll nab the New Seven ‘Brella Reloaded umbrella. 

Elite Stronghold is live in Reload right now, so launch Fortnite and earn your way to greatness. Good luck!