The Battle Bus has landed at Universal Studios Florida as crews continue transforming Central Park into the Fortnite-inspired FORTNITEMARES scare zone for Halloween Horror Nights 35.
FORTNITEMARES Battle Bus
A full-size Battle Bus is now parked near the entrance to the upcoming Fortnite scare zone. In Fortnite Battle Royale, the flying vehicle carries players over the island at the beginning of a match, allowing them to choose where they will drop into the action.
The real-world version is built around a black school bus with “BATTLE BUS” displayed in red lettering above the windshield and rear doors. Its dark finish gives the instantly recognizable vehicle a more sinister appearance appropriate for FORTNITEMARES.
Large gray-and-orange mechanical arms are attached to both sides of the bus. Additional machinery rises from the roof, including pipes, winches, and a central apparatus bearing a red “V” emblem. The equipment evokes the elaborate rig that connects the in-game Battle Bus to its balloon.
Though the balloon itself is absent, Universal has transformed the top of the Battle Bus into a miniature mobile cemetery. Gray tombstones, candles, and jack-o’-lanterns surround the machinery, bringing the bus in line with its Halloween makeover. The large vehicle will likely serve as the central landmark of the scare zone when guests “drop in” to the FORTNITEMARES experience.
Universal announced the Fortnite scare zone in July. The experience will send guests into Freaky Fields, described as a Halloween-inspired “living battleground” overcome by a threatening force.
Freaky Fields Sets
Smaller sets installed throughout Central Park recreate the stylized look of the Fortnite island. Wooden barricades, brick walls, and patched metal panels recall the three basic types of building materials traditionally gathered by players. Their exaggerated painted textures make the physical scenery look like it was pulled directly from the game.
One structure resembles a player-built fort, complete with uneven wooden walls and a raised lookout tower. A static character display is positioned in the tower, holding a Halloween variation of the Rocket Launcher that fires explosives shaped like grinning jack-o’-lanterns.
Black-and-orange pumpkins, hay bales, cornstalks, wooden crates, and small sheds reinforce the rural Freaky Fields setting.
Monitors placed among the crates display glowing, sharp-toothed grins. Bright red-and-orange thorny tendrils also curl through hay bales and over the brickwork, suggesting that a hostile supernatural force is spreading across the battleground.
A Witch Broom rests near another set. Introduced during a previous FORTNITEMARES event, the in-game item launches players into the air and allows them to glide away from danger. Its placement among the foliage makes it appear as though a player abandoned the broom after arriving in Freaky Fields.
FORTNITEMARES is one of four scare zones featured during Halloween Horror Nights 35 at Universal Studios Florida. The separately ticketed event runs on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026.
What do you think of Universal’s full-size Battle Bus and the other Fortnite scenery? Share your thoughts with us on social media.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.
The post Full-Size Battle Bus Drops Into Universal Studios Florida for FORTNITEMARES Scare Zone appeared first on WDW News Today.
