'Fortnite' releases Season 8 trailers for story and Battle Pass

Pirates, the Ice King, and a fiery Prisoner all appear to be chasing the same treasure in Season 8 of multiplayer video game "Fortnite," while players can become human cannonballs, help squadmates complete challenges, and pay to access a ton of new costumes.

Two trailers for "Fortnite" Season 8 set up its emerging storyline and a bunch of new features.

The first, a story cinematic, introduces a pirate captain to the Ice King and the Prisoner, two characters (and unlockable costumes) that featured in "Fortnite" Season 7.

The second shows off some of Season 8's new gameplay features, while extolling the virtues of its paid, season-long Battle Pass, which confers the ability to earn over 100 cosmetics.

Season 8 sees the introduction of movable cannons which can fire cannonballs or, alternatively, other players.

Season 7 began in December 2018 and ran for 12 weeks rather than the usual 10. Season 8 is expected to run to mid-May should it stick to the standard length, or the end of May if "Fortnite" developer Epic Games conforms to a 12-week pattern.

The two-week extension to Season 7 also coincided with the opportunity for players to earn a free Battle Pass for Season 8.

During Season 7's run, Electronic Arts studio Respawn Entertainment announced and released its own contribution to the Battle Royale genre which "Fortnite" currently leads.

The new contender's rapid growth saw it accumulate 25 million players within its first week, as compared to the "Fortnite" tally of 200 million at the start of the year.

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