The latest Fortnite season is barely three days old, but it isn't stopping you from decimating players and bugs around the island. With Superman gone and an alien invasion threatening to wreak havoc on the game's lore, Epic Games is leaning into some Helldivers 2-style antics to up the action. Arrowhead Studios' record of over two billion slain bugs is impressive, but can Fortnite players do better?
So far, the results aren't as promising, but they're still impressive. Fortnite players are still fresh to Shock N' Awesome, Epic Games' new update that launched on Thursday, August 7, 2025. In the time between now and then, over 250 million bugs are slain, but the invasion is far from over. Congratulating the game's community on social media, Epic Games jokes that "your work is impressive… and kinda gross… but we need more of it."
Across the Fortnite map, there are multiple hives riddled with all manner of gnarly alien creatures ready to rip your face off. Clearing these hives rewards you with some very Helldivers 2-inspired caches, each of them containing higher rarity weapons and medallions to increase your chances of victory. Some of these POIs can even lead to some sweet boss fights, not unlike the battles seen in recent Call of Duty: Zombies easter eggs. However, there's still work to do.
Before Epic confirmed the defeat of 250 million bugs, 100 million set the tone going forward. But you and I both know that we can do better; we must strive higher. The Fortnite creator agrees, adding the following: "What's better than a hundred million? A billion… Keep fighting."
While Halo's The Flood is a clear point of reference for Shock N' Awesome, it's abundantly clear that Helldivers 2's acid-covered, goo-soaked fun is at the heart of the season. I'm having a great time with the season so far, and those Power Rangers skins are the cherry on top.
Comparatively, Arrowhead Studios set Helldivers 2 players a challenge to slaughter two billion bugs in a week. Within just 24 hours, they were all slain. As the season progresses, I wonder how else Epic Games will take influence from the hit PlayStation 5 shooter. Just make sure you do your part to clear out those Fortnite bugs before then.
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