This week, on Nonsensical Things Happening in Fortnite...

A massive eyeball has appeared where the volcanic debris hit Polar Peak during the unvaulting event preceding Fortnite Season 9. The eye is very much alive, following nearby player movements and flitting about in a seemingly panicked state. Were I encased in a mountain of ice while millions of teens flossed on my frozen body, I, too, might be upset.

It's somewhat unusual to see such a significant map update hinting at an in-game event this early into a season, but since the next Fortnite season will be the big 10, it's a safe bet Epic is preparing something special to commemorate making it to double digits.

If you've made it this far into the story, then you might actually care what this eye means for Fortnite's near future. Join me for some wild speculation.

The Leviathan skin appeared in the item shop the night before the eye opened, which could be a playful nod to one of Fortnite's oldest myths, born from leaks and rumors many, many months ago (decades in Fortnite time). Or, it could mean the leviathan is real. Let me explain.

During Season 3, a purported leaker took to Reddit, detailing limited time modes that involve a leviathan creature hatching from the meteorite that devastated Dusty Depot.

None of it turned out to be accurate, perhaps only gaining traction due to the validity of leaks released from a different source shortly before on the same subreddit. Everyone knew those leaks were legitimate when Epic filed a lawsuit against the QA tester responsible for spilling the beans.

Lies or not, signs of a large dragon- or dinosaur-like creature kept cropping up. A house in the southwestern section of the map was smashed by something in Season 4, a massive footprint the only evidence. A drawing of the same footprint appears on one of the detective skin's backbling accessories as well, which added fuel to some far-fetched theories. And how about those eggs beneath Polar Peak? They were certainly laid by a large creature, and their proximity to whatever's encased in the ice doesn't feel like a coincidence.

Exhibit A: Lizard Ninja Abomination Do you know who my mommy and daddy are?

And yeah, lizard ninjas seemingly hatched from those eggs in Season 8 (as represented by a battle pass skin), but where are mommy and daddy? More importantly, how does a ninja copulate with an ancient reptilian colossus?

They 'just build lol.'

I'm not expecting the fabled Leviathan LTM, but I am expecting even more catastrophic map changes. My personal theory is that we'll see a new map with or after Season 10, and all the Season 9 hubbub is an ambitious build-up to a dino stomping it all to hell.

Either way, Epic is prepping to tie all the seemingly random threads of Fortnite's story together. Creative director Donald Mustard's Twitter bio says he's located at "The Eye" which is a ritual he usually reserves for in-game events near the end of each season. And the Fortbytes mural, from what's been uncovered so far, depicts a bearded Jonesy piecing together his own theory. From what we can make out of his scribbles, the cube and the eye are both part of the elaborate diagram.

I can feel a new map in my bones. The daily Fortbyte challenges send players on a tour of the entire map, something of a symbolic final lap. It's time, Epic. It's time.

We'll find out soon enough. Keep one ominous giant squid eye on this page for updates.