What to expect before Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 8 release: Live event 'Operation Sky Fire', downtime, new collabs, and more

Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 7 is nearing a close, but that doesn't mean it's slowing down. With just under a week until the season's ultimate live event, players can expect fireworks and exciting revelations.

Season 7 will end on 12 September 2021 at 4.00pm. However, there are plenty of rumors and leaks to address before the live event gets here. Here's what players should know.

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What to expect prior to Operation Sky Fire in Fortnite

The live event Operation Sky Fire will see the ultimate battle between the alien invaders and the inhabitants of the Fortnite island. A previous audio leak confirmed that Doctor Slone's plan is to infiltrate and crash the mothership, destroying a "populated area."

The event countdown will appear above corny, it currently sometimes in game accidentally as a placeholder. The countdown is supposed to appear this Friday! (via @ImEntoYT) pic.twitter.com/qHyqCG1Ttv

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) August 31, 2021

Before that, though, there are some reveals players can expect. There are a lot of leaks regarding Fortnite's potential collaborations. With the recent release of the Will Smith Fortnite skin, the game has demonstrated its propensity to release big collabs at the end of a season as opposed to waiting for the next one.

Will Smith's character from Bad Boys recently made its way into Fortnite, even though the season is almost over. (Image via Epic Games)

Three characters from The Suicide Squad - Weasel, King Shark and Peacemaker - have been leaked and could arrive at any time. A number of characters from a recent survey, such as CJ from GTA, Dragon ball's Goku and more, could also make their way into the game.

Additionally, the final Wild Week will occur before the event. Wild Weeks have been going on for the past three weeks, each highlighting a different game mechanic in the ongoing fight between the IO and aliens.

Immediately after the conclusion of Operation Sky Fire, Fortnite will go into downtime. This will likely transition into Chapter 2 Season 8.

Previously, the downtime came into effect after the end of Chapter 1 and the conclusion of the Nexus war. This further enhances the event's grandeur and builds expectations.

Alright, Epic did not even try to hide this. So here's something about the event.(IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, DON'T READ THE NEXT LINE.)After the event, we will instantly enter a downtime.

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) August 31, 2021

It is likely that Chapter 2 Season 8 will begin the very next day, 13 September 2021. An update will probably be released sometime after the downtime.