Fortnite 29.30 update patch notes: Downtime, Billie Eilish, Tactical AR returns, more

The Fortnite 29.30 update is here, bringing new content to Chapter 5 Season 2. Here are the full patch notes for the Fortnite 29.30 update, including downtime details and the introduction of Billie Eilish to Festival.

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 3 is still weeks away, but the devs are keeping players occupied with regular updates to add fresh content. The latest patch to hit the game is the 29.30 update.

So, here are the full patch notes for the Fortnite 29.30 update.

• Fortnite 29.30 update release date & downtime
• Fortnite 29.30 update kicks off Festival Season 3
• Tactical AR returns in Fortnite 29.30

Fortnite 29.30 update release date & downtime

The Fortnite 29.30 patch arrived on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, which matches the game’s usual schedule of a new update every two weeks. Downtime started at around 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 8 AM GMT and should last for around 2-3 hours, as is usually the case.

Fortnite 29.30 update kicks off Festival Season 3

Fortnite Festival Season 3 has kicked off with the 29.30 update, starting with a Billie Eilish collaboration on April 23.

The Grammy-winning artist will take over the Festival Main Stage. Skins modeled after her are also coming to the item shop and some of her most popular songs have been added as Jam Tracks.

A new Festival Pass is now available, with items like Lavatronik Bass and four Jam Tracks as rewards on the free track. As for the premium track, its rewards include the Green Roots Billie Outfit, Ultraviolet Style, and four Jam Tracks.

Here are the patch notes associated with this Festival update:

Billie Eilish Items in the Shop

• Billie Eilish – “all the good girls go to hell”
• Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever – Edit”
• Billie Eilish – “Therefore I Am”

Improvements & Fixes

Pro Lead and Pro Bass

• Added two new song parts: Pro Lead and Pro Bass! All current and future Jam Tracks now have these two playable song parts, accessible on the Main Stage with a guitar controller. 
  • Pro Lead and Pro Bass have hammer-on and pull-off notes. When you have a streak going, you can hit these notes without strumming!
  • Pro Lead and Pro Bass have colored notes for each lane, corresponding with the guitar controller’s buttons.
  • Leaderboards now have new listings to support Pro Lead and Pro Bass scores.
• Updated the Overdrive color for all song parts from bright orange to silver-white.
• For now, the whammy bar only provides a visual effect. There is no audio distortion or extra Overdrive energy when whammying.

Tuning Up

• The Music Library now shows an expanded set of stats, showing your selected Instrument type’s best performance in each Jam Track row.
• The Music Library is now also ordered with new and featured Jam Tracks at the top by default (this can be re-sorted), allowing players with large libraries to easily access Quest-relevant Jam Tracks.
• New Wristband Quests and rewards have been added. 
• Season 2 leaderboard scores have been recorded and archived.
• For more convenient song selection, you’ll be closer to the organ when you arrive Backstage. 
• There are more stats on the Results screen after each performance. You can now see the percentage of notes hit and missed and the average from your other performances to see how you’ve improved.
• We’ve reordered the song parts selection menu to Vocals > Bass > Lead > Drums.
• We fixed a bug that was granting a “Double Overdrive” meter during certain note sections. 
• Made various other fixes and improvements.

Tactical AR returns in Fortnite 29.30

The Tactical Assault Rifle has returned in the Fortnite 29.30 update, marking the weapon’s first appearance in the game since being vaulted in Chapter 4 Season 2.

Introduced back in Chapter 4 Season 1, the Tactical AR is a medium-range rifle with a built-in red dot sight for more accurate shots. It featured rarities from Common all the way up to Legendary, and the update has brought back all of its variants.

Those were the patch notes for the Fortnite 29.30 update. Be sure to check back here once the update is live for the complete patch notes detailing every change and new addition.

For more on Fortnite, check out some of our useful guides:

All Weapon Bunker locations in Fortnite | What are account levels in Fortnite? | Best Fortnite keybinds and settings for mouse & keyboard | Best Fortnite controller settings | How to convert your Fortnite skins to LEGO Style | What’s in the next Fortnite Crew pack? | Fortnite Quest rewards