Fortnite dataminers find a hidden location underwater

Fortnite fans have found a new location hidden under the waters of its latest update.

The Ruins will emerge later this season as water levels around the submerged map slowly recede.

Today brought the first of these incremental changes, though full plans for the island through until the end of this season (currently pegged for late August) have been found in the game's files and posted to reddit.

Fans think The Ruins will be a location themed around DC's Aquaman, just as Marvel's Deadpool got a location themed around the Merc With a Mouth in the back half of last season.

Fortnite's current season began with vast swathes of its map underwater, and other areas changed considerably to keep buildings afloat. But Epic has said over the course of the season the island will eventually dry out. At some point, proper road vehicles will be drivable for the first time, too.

Here's a look at the map at the start of the season, today with the first water level change, and then the final stage of this drying out process. The Ruins will be found in the top left of the map, where the plane crash site once sat.

This week's update finally saw Fortnite lose its "early access" branding, as new development on the game's original Save the World portion will slowly wind down. It will no longer go free-to-play, as had long been the plan, but will be kept around as a cheaper option featuring rotating annual content.