Donald Mustard, the chief creative officer at Epic and key contributor to the Fortnite Battle Royale storyline, is retiring. This news comes at a crucial time for Fortnite, as the storyline in Battle Royale has been in disarray for over a year, only worsening with each new season in Chapter 4.
Now, it’s important to note that this is not necessarily Mustard’s fault. The Fortnite storyline has always played second fiddle to other priorities in the game. When Epic alters its plans, the writers have to adapt, even if it means sacrificing coherence. While the Marvel-esque story has never been the epitome of consistency, in the past, it was possible to follow the overall narrative from season to season. This is no longer the case.
The Potential Clue
Rumors suggest that the current season, Last Resort, with its new map locations and heist activities, may have originally been intended for Chapter 4 Season 2, way back in March of this year. While this is merely speculation, it does make sense given the fragmented storytelling we’ve been experiencing.
Datamined details reveal that some files related to the major new locations in Last Resort are marked as “s24,” indicating that they belong to Season 24 of Fortnite. However, the current season, Chapter 4 Season 4, is actually Season 26. Although this is not concrete evidence that Last Resort was intended for Season 2, it aligns with the disjointed nature of the recent seasons.
The Story So Far
Each season in Chapter 4 has been self-contained, with little connection to what came before. For example, in Season 1, a character named The Ageless played a major role, setting up a portal at the request of the Shapeless Man. Meanwhile, the Most Wanted event involved a faction called the Most Wanted stealing from the rival Cold Blooded group, which is reminiscent of the heist-centric Last Resort season.
In Season 2, without any reference to prior events, the plot revolved around several Mega City crime syndicates teaming up to defeat Triarch Nox and his Unseen syndicate. Season 3 introduced earthquakes and showcased a dense jungle beneath the collapsed island, but the syndicates and other characters from Season 2 were forgotten.
The current season, Chapter 4 Season 4, brings us the heist-themed Last Resort season, where we encounter a time-traveling vampire named Kado Thorne. The story has taken a seemingly random direction with no clear explanation for how we reached this point.
The Problem with Fortnite’s Story
Fortnite’s overarching story has completely spiraled out of control, with each season feeling like a standalone tale that fails to connect with what came before. It’s no longer a coherent, serialized plot. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this issue, but the possibility that Epic swapped out a planned season for a different one is plausible and offers a simple explanation for the narrative’s downfall.
While we lack confirmation for this theory, there is substantial evidence to support it. The Cold Blooded name aligns with a vampire syndicate, and Kado Thorne’s house is situated where the portal was in Season 1. Despite this, we may never discover the true reason behind the shifting seasons.
In light of Donald Mustard’s departure, the future of Fortnite’s storyline remains uncertain. It’s difficult to predict where the game will go from here.