A new map leak for Fortnite suggests that the ongoing extensive collaboration with The Simpsons is far from over, with indications pointing to the addition of Springfield Retirement Castle as a new Point of Interest (POI). The revelation, coming from superstar community leaker Loolo, is the testimony of continuing Epic Games‘ determination to integrate the iconic world of the animated sitcom into that of battle royale, building on the heavy amount of content delivered this season.
The current mini-season started with probably one of the largest thematic resets in recent memory. Aside from the character skins for the foregrounds of Homer, Marge, and Ned Flanders, the map itself received an overhaul, with several well-known landmarks added from the town of Springfield. Players have been keying into matches centered around such significant spots as the Simpsons’ family home, Moe’s Tavern, and the mighty Springfield Power Plant. The changes have surely paved the way for further expansion along the entire lifecycle of this season, given their resounding acceptance.
In terms of the new location arriving, the retirement home, a famous landmark in the show, has a penchant for being at the heart of the storyline about some of its long-time characters. While it’s still up in the air when assets will come to the game, an update is expected to roll out later in the season cycle. This means the intention must be that Epic Games is stretching the weekly content schedule to maintain player interest during the event of The Simpsons.
The swift advance of the Retirement Castle has predictably led to immediate speculation in the fan community. The most shared and culturally potent theory suggests that the map will arrive from the same Update that will deliver a character skin, most aggressively speculating about Abraham “Abe” Simpson, Homer’s father, who is the most frequent resident of the site. The advancement only solidifies the current model of Fortnite’s long-term content strategy being built around major IP crossover events and a path which is already seeing leaks hinting at future animated collaborations like South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants.
