Fortnite ‘Unvaulting’ Volcano event: Tilted Towers destroyed, Drum Gun returns

Fortnite’s Unvaulting event has concluded, resulting in the volcano erupting and destroying Tilted Towers and Retail Row. The Drum Gun is also back!

Well, it has finally happened. Tilted Towers has been destroyed. Every year, before a big event in Fortnite, leaked files and dataminer speculation predict the destruction of the iconic point of interest. It finally happened during today’s “Unvaulting” event.

As has become tradition any time a season in Fortnite winds down, Epic Games began teasing the big event weeks ago. Today, the countdown clock struck zero and players were treated to another one-time event.

When the timer hit zero, the vault unlocked, sending a giant white beam into the air and transported players inside. It was there that they were greeted with multiple pillars, each showing a weapon or item from the past that has been sent to Fortnite‘s vault.

It was soon discovered that these pillars could take pickaxe damage and players began to attack them. Each strike whittled away at the pillar’s health until one of the items— the Drum Gun — was finally uncased and returned to the battle royale mode.

The Drum Gun was introduced to Fortnite back in July 2018; however, it was sent to the vault in September of that same year with update v5.40. Epic didn’t provide a reason for the move, though the controversial weapon was considered to be an incredibly powerful weapon that excelled at close-, mid-, and long-range.

It’s unclear if the Drum Gun will return to Fortnite as it previously existed when it was vaulted, or if Epic has made some adjustments while it was away. In any case, its return is a welcomed surprise; although, I wonder if this was a scripted event for its return, or if one of the other items in the vault could’ve been unlocked if that’s what the community wanted. The Drum Gun is undoubtedly a game-changer, and Epic has confirmed that it won’t appear in this weekend’s Fortnite World Cup Online Open.

The Drum Gun’s return was only part of today’s event. After the Unvaulted, players were sent back into the world and transported into the air where they could witness the volcano erupting.

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The volcano sent flaming rocks spewing across the sky and into various landmarks. The most notable landmark hit was Tilted Towers, which was struck by numerous rocks, resulting in a giant pile of ash.

Retail Row was the other major point of interest struck by rocks and has also been practically destroyed. While some of the surrounding buildings on the outskirts are still standing, most of Retail Row is now a giant ashy crater.

Polar Peak was also seemingly struck with a flaming rock, but no noticeable changes were made.

Overall, this event wasn’t the most creative or exciting we’ve seen from Epic, but was certainly one of the most impactful. Tilted Towers has long been considered a hot spot to land, as it features plenty of loot and tons of action. With it reduced to rubble and ash, it will be interesting to see where players opt to land now. The destruction of Tilted Towers and Retail Row, as well as the return of the Drum Gun, should make Season 9 competitive play way more interesting.

What did you think of Fortnite‘s Unvaulting / Volcano event today? Are you happy Tilted Towers has finally been destroyed?