What’s New in Fortnite Winterfest? Everything You Need to Know

Free Presents!

The cool new thing coming in this year’s Fortnite Winterfest event is the ability to claim a free present every day. According to a leak over on Twitter, we now know that each and every day, players will be able to log in to open two new presents.

Each present, we assume, will contain some sort of cosmetic. Epic Games hasn’t yet officially announced this, so we don’t know what cosmetics could possibly be inside.

They could be a set of new festive cosmetics, or they could just be old holiday-themed items that Epic Games is happy to give out for free. Right now, we just don’t know, but we’ll be updating this post as and when we’ve got more information.

Obtaining these presents will be done in Crackshot’s Cabin from the lobby. A new option will be added along the top of the screen, and heading here will then allow you to open your gifts. Winner winner!

New Challenge Every Day

While Winterfest hasn’t dropped in Fortnite just yet, we do know exactly what to expect in terms of challenges. Thanks to leaks found over on Twitter, we now know that we’ll be getting a fresh, new challenge every day.

The Fortnite Winterfest challenge list remains a mystery at the moment, but will likely be leaked over the next couple of days once the event has begun.

Each of the challenges will likely unlock some sort of festive cosmetic item. It could be a spray or an emote, or if we’re really lucky, things like Back Blings, dances, or new wraps.

We’ll just have to wait and see, but we can assure you there are at least 14 Fortnite Winterfest challenges you’ll need to complete.

Festive Map Changes

One of the most obvious changes in Fortnite’s Winterfest, which again began prior to the event’s official start date of Dec. 17, are the visible changes to the map.

Everywhere you look around Battle Royale Island, there’s something new. Massive bushes complete with Christmas lights have been dropped around the world making for perfect cover; a chunk of the map has already been blanketed in a sheet of pure, white snow, and sneaky snowmen stand proud in these areas.

On top of that, some more minor POIs were added to Fortnite’s map as part of the 11.30 update. Crackshot’s Cabin is back offering up a trio of chests underneath a tree, while a Frozen Gingerbread House and the Shiver Inn also make the most of the particularly cold weather.

Festive Weapons

While these festive changes had already been implemented before Fortnite Winterfest officially kicked off, it still all adds to the holiday feel.

Just as we’ve seen in previous years, Epic Games has switched up the Grenade Launcher to be the Snowball Launcher. It deals the same damage but fires massive, explosive snowballs instead.

Alongside this, Epic Games also brought back the return of the Sneaky Snowman. This item allows players to don a snowman skin over the top of their character. These have also been scattered across the map as part of the wintery changes, meaning you can perfectly blend into your surroundings and go by undetected.

For more on Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 1, be sure to check out our guide wiki.