What are the Blue and Red Areas on the Fortnite Map?

Fortnite hasn’t just been “that battle royale thing” for a while now. It’s a game for rapid-fire experimentation and genre-shifting, throwing mechanics at the wall and seeing what sticks. It’s almost like a living library of gaming’s various tropes and norms, shifting in and out as time goes by. Case in point, plenty of games in years past, shooters especially, have made use of territory mechanics, and now Fortnite does as well. On that note, what are the blue and red areas on the Fortnite map?

With the beginning of Chapter 3, Season 2 on Sunday, the map of Fortnite’s signature island has become covered in multiple squiggly red and blue lines and circles. No, little Jimmy didn’t get carried away with the dry-erase markers again. These lines represent the territory controlled by Fortnite’s two warring factions, the IO and the Resistance, red for the former and blue for the latter.

What are the Blue and Red Areas on the Fortnite Map?

Inside these territories, you are more likely to encounter NPCs, CPU enemies, and equipment attuned to that particular faction. This is important because, alongside the altered map, the new season has brought a spate of faction-specific objectives. You’ll need to enter these territories to find the enemies or items you’re looking for in order to achieve these objectives. 

Inside of the IO-controlled red territories, you’ll encounter the following IO-specific entities:

• IO Blimps 
• IO Titan Tanks 
• IO Guards 
• Siege Cannons

Meanwhile, inside of the Resistance-controlled blue territories, you’ll encounter the following Resistance-specific entities:

• Armored Battle Bus 
• Sentry Guards 
• Turrets 
• Resistance weapons like the Combat SMG and Striker Burst Rifle

Be aware that all NPCs encountered within IO territories will be immediately hostile toward players, while NPCs in Resistance territories are generally friendly and passive.