Balloons & Shield Bubbles return to Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2

The latest content update for Fortnite Chapter 3 Season (from last Tuesday) added a few new items to the game. For starters, on Tuesday, the Flint-Knock Pistol and the Hunting Rifle were unvaulted, giving players multiple options for their Heavy Ammo slot. The update also added two items that had a delayed release: Balloons and Shield Bubbles.

These two items have been vaulted for quite some time. Balloons have not been in the main game playlists since the onset of Chapter 1 Season 9. Shield Bubbles were vaulted since Chapter 2 Season 1 and both items were long overdue for a return.

They're officially active in-game as of about 9.00 AM EST. Many players may even see a few daily challenges relating to the two items. Here's where to get them, how to use them, and more.

---

Balloons and Shield Bubbles are back in Fortnite

Both of these items immediately go straight into the regular loot pool. ThIS means they can be found in almost anything. However, floor loot and chests remain the most common places to find them.

They cannot be found in Supply Drops, though. Supply Drops give one weapon of Epic or Legendary rarity, ammo for that weapon, a consumable (heals) and materials. Balloons and Shield Bubbles don't fall under those categories.

The best way to find them is to just start looking in chests.

Chest spawns in Chapter 3 Season 2 (Image via Fortnite.GG)

Popular POIs typically have a lot of chests, but there are also several other good places to look. In this case, it might be best to land off the beaten path and away from the action to loot as many chests as possible to find the items.

Since the items were gone nearly the entirety of the previous chapter and this one, many Fortnite gamers may not know how they work.

Balloons function similarly to chickens. When players pick up a chicken and jump, they float. The same effect happens with Balloons, just to a greater extent. They can also pull out multiple Balloons and truly fly above everything.

However, these balloons can be popped by bullets and they don't remove fall damage. To get down, Fortnite players need to release the extra ones slowly until they get close enough to the ground.

Shield Bubbles can be thrown on the ground and will provide an extra layer of protection. Nothing can penetrate the bubbles from outside, though players can walk through them.