Fortnite’s end-of-season event Operation Sky Fire begins Sept. 12

After several months of an alien invasion in Chapter 2 – Season 7, Season 8 of Fortnite is coming. As with every other season, there’s going to be a finale event that thrusts players into the new installment. Up until now, players had no idea what the finale could entail besides a showdown between the Imagined Order and the alien invaders. As of this morning, though, players now know that they’ll be participating in Operation Sky Fire to conclude the saga of Season 7.

Operation Sky Fire was revealed by Epic Games through an in-game countdown timer. This was followed up by an official screenshot teasing the finale event — with Doctor Slone, the head of the IO, at the forefront. The date on the screenshot teases Sept. 12, which has long been thought to be the start date of Season 8. Players have nine days until Season 7 concludes.

Operation Sky Fire in Fortnite Season 7

If players were to view the countdown timer currently in Fortnite, they can see the timer is set to end on September 12 at 4 p.m. ET. This is, by all accounts, when Operation Sky Fire will begin in Fortnite.

Currently, that’s all of the information the community has surrounding Operation Sky Fire. However, if past seasons are any indication, players can expect a Limited-Time Mode to appear shortly before the timer runs out. This LTM will allow players to be a part of the finale, where they’ll likely see Doctor Slone and the IO take on the aliens to drive them from the map. An official Fortnite account has confirmed the event will be interactive as well.

Rumors suggest that Slone will place bombs around Corny Complex leading up to the event. This will supposedly result in a detonation that takes down the alien Mothership and all of the other alien landmarks on the map. How this will affect the map in Season 8 is currently unknown.

If players want to partake in Operation Sky Fire, they should be ready to enter the LTM a couple of hours before 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 12. Once the finale occurs, Season 8 should begin the following morning. However, Epic Games could delay the event, or Season 8, leading up to Sept. 12.