Leaked files and tweets point to a new Fortnite respawn system called Restarter Island, a Gulag style arena where eliminated players can fight for a chance to return to the match. According to the leaks, Restarter Island will host a sequence of quick mini-games rather than a straight 1v1 gunfight. The list shared by leakers says one of the modes is Rock Paper Scissors played best of three and another gives players Shockwave Grenades over time to try and knock opponents off small platforms.
The initial details were shared by leakers Shiina and HYPEX via l3stei and spelled out in a Shiina tweet listing the Restarter Island rules. Console PC Gaming also saw a follow-up tweet from Shiina that includes a first-look image credited to other leakers, which gives a rough idea of how the arena might appear in-game and shows the early concept.
FORTNITE GULAG SYSTEM COMING SOON
– Called "Restarter Island"
– Includes Rock, Paper, Scissors
– Classic rules, best of 3
– Shockwave Grenades granted over time, used to knock opponents off their platforms(via @l3stei) pic.twitter.com/1oEgYmWwVp
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) November 29, 2025
The idea borrows heavily from Call of Duty Warzone’s Gulag, which was a fast 1v1 rematch spot where the winner redeployed into the match. Fortnite’s rumored approach looks to swap the pure shootout for skill and randomness across short minigames, which could change how often eliminated players get back into play. Fortnite has been experimenting with player return and team-revive systems already. Chapter 7 Season 1 added features such as driveable reboot vans and a Bots Mode alongside new traversal options like a wingsuit, details we covered when v38.00 landed and brought the Simpsons crossover and a host of creative changes in that v38.00 roundup.
Leakers also posted what they claimed was a first look at the Restarter Island layout, sourced to Egyptian_Leaker and KPMisParrot and amplified by Shiina, which gives players and creators something concrete to react to as the community debates how a mini game based Gulag would fit Fortnite’s faster, more chaotic matches. Epic has not formally announced Restarter Island, and leaks like these tend to change before launch. Players who remember how servers spiked around chapter launches can look back at when Fortnite servers briefly went offline during the Zero Point event ahead of Chapter 7, which is part of the same rollout window that produced several Chapter 7 features we documented after the Zero Point event.
FIRST LOOK AT THE GULAG IN FORTNITE 🔥
(via @Egyptian_Leaker & @KPMisParrot) pic.twitter.com/h7P6vKFDu2
— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) November 30, 2025
If Restarter Island arrives as described, it will be another example of Fortnite borrowing ideas from other battle royales while putting its own twist on them, whether those twists land with players will depend on how the mini games affect match flow and comeback frequency. Got thoughts on Restarter Island or the idea of a Fortnite Gulag? Leave a comment below and follow us on X, Bluesky, and YouTube!
Fortnite: Chapter 7 - Season 1: Pacific Break
Developed by Epic Games
