Season 2 of 'Fortnite' Puts You Against the IO Soldiers Across the Map

Chapter 3, Season 2 of Fortnite launched with an invasion of the IO, who are trying to take over the island. The invasion has impacted many aspects of the games, even temporarily taking away building (and bringing a new zero build mode to the game).

But there are also other changes that have marked the beginning of this new season — including the mysterious blue and red lines that now trail around the map. What are these lines, and do they have any impact on gameplay in Fortnite?

If you look at the map in Fortnite, you'll notice red and blue lines that seem to section off different portions of the map, though if you cross these lines while playing the game, nothing seems to change. So what do these lines indicate?

The IO's invasion of the island appears to have been semi-successful because the areas enclosed in the red lines indicate sections controlled by IO soldiers. On the other hand, any area enclosed by a blue line belongs to the Resistance.

One look at the map will indicate that the IO currently controls a large portion of the island (including some of the map's best landing points). While they may control large portions of the island, that doesn't stop you from entering the areas — but you should be aware that it comes with extra dangers.

IO soldiers are posted around the areas controlled by the group, and if you choose to explore those areas, you won't just be facing potential attacks from other players, but the soldiers as well.

If you keep your exploration to the Resistance-controlled areas, you won't have to fight off IO soldiers (only the other players you're competing against). That being said, there are various missions that will require you to fight the IO soldiers for XP and other rewards, so you may want to consider that before you swear off IO-dominated sections of the map.

The NPCs have also taken sides as the IO moved in, and to complete new quests, you'll still need to seek them out — even in enemy territory.

While the lines have yet to shift in favor of the Resistance, it's entirely likely that as the season progresses, we'll see the lines shift (though it's currently uncertain in whose favor). Hopefully, since much of the goal this season is to make progress toward expelling the IO from the map, those red-controlled areas will shrink as the season continues.

The current season isn't slated to end until June 3, meaning players have plenty of time this season to fight the members of the IO and help the Resistance. It's not clear what's next for players in this chapter, it's clear the fight against the IO is far from over, and there will certainly be plenty more challenges along the way.