Fortnite’s new year salute arrives with secret rewards and a fresh twist on the island-are you bold enough to chase the mystery and snag the free loot before it vanishes?
With Winterfest 2025 already setting loopers in a festive spirit, old and new players alike are expecting to see the big ball drop in Fortnite this year, too. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fortnite New Year’s Event, including its timings and possible rewards.
Is Fortnite Doing a New Year’s 2026 Event?
Fortnite is continuing its tradition of celebrating the New Year with a festive in-game countdown for 2026. Players can expect fireworks, bright sky effects, and a short celebration sequence that appears each hour leading up to midnight in different regions. While Epic Games hasn’t announced a major themed event or special challenges this time, past patterns suggest the focus will stay on the party atmosphere rather than a full questline. It’s a quick but fun way for players across time zones to celebrate together as the clock strikes twelve.
Yes, like every year, Epic Games will be hosting a Fortnite New Year’s Event to celebrate the arrival of 2026. The event will continue the long-running tradition that started all the way back in Chapter 1. The 2026 celebration will be the final live event of the year. However, for players unfamiliar with it, they should not expect a full-fledged event.
Unlike storyline live events like Zero Hour, the Fortnite New Year’s Event is more of an in-game spectacle that serves as a short celebration during matches. The format of the event remains largely the same. Players can queue for a match in any game mode, including Battle Royale, Zero Build, OG, and Reload, to experience the event. The event will feature a giant disco ball spawning in the sky, with players being locked in a dance animation for a short period.
Fortnite New Year Event 2026 Countdown Timer and Ball Drop Timings
Fortnite’s 2026 New Year event featured the traditional in-game countdown timer and ball drop, appearing hourly across different time zones so players worldwide could celebrate together. As midnight struck region by region, fireworks, confetti, and special light effects filled the sky over the Battle Royale island. The countdown was visible in the main lobby and live matches, giving players a brief moment of celebration before resuming gameplay.
The Fortnite New Year Event for 2026, like past years, will take place across multiple time zones on December 31, 2025. Once the first New Year Event takes place in-game, Fortnite repeats the event at the end of every hour. This allows players who miss out on one event to experience the New Year’s ball dropping later in the day.
As of now, Epic Games has yet to give an official time or schedule regarding the New Year’s event. However, the chain of events likely begins around 6 AM ET on December 31, 2025. This would align with Fortnite’s previous New Year’s events as well as the OCE region heading into 2026.
To help you with the exact start time of the Fortnite New Year’s live event, we’ve added a countdown timer for you:
Fortnite New Year’s Live Event starts in 00 Days 00 Hours 00 Minutes 00 Seconds
The in-game New Year’s event is now live!
While players have the opportunity of catching this event multiple times, it is recommended that players join a match a short while before every hourly ball drop. This can help you have some buffer time between getting into a match and the live event taking place.
Is There a Free Fortnite New Year’s Event Reward This Year?
Fortnite players often wonder about free New Year’s event rewards in 2026. Epic Games has run holiday events before, but no official announcement confirms a dedicated New Year’s event this year. Check the in-game news or Epic’s site for updates, as rewards like skins or emotes sometimes appear unannounced around January 1. Past years featured limited-time modes with free cosmetics, so stay tuned through early 2026.
As of the time of writing, there is no leaked or official information regarding rewards tied to the Fortnite New Year Event this year. Since Epic Games has not attached exclusive rewards to previous New Year events, this is unlikely to change down the line.
While this may be disheartening for players, it is important to remember that players can still earn a ton of free cosmetics, including the Glacial Dummy skin, through the ongoing Winterfest lodge. However, the Winterfest lodge rewards are separate from the New Year’s Event, and you have to log in every day to receive these rewards rather than attend the event.
When did Fortnite last run a free New Year reward program
Fortnite’s most recent free New Year reward program occurred during the 2025-2026 transition. Players could claim it via the ongoing Winterfest event’s final cabin present around December 31, 2025, to January 1, 2026.
Event Details
The reward, often a cosmetic like a skin or emote (e.g., a hamster-themed item), unlocked automatically for logging in during the New Year’s ball drop sequences, which repeated hourly. This tied into Epic Games’ tradition of festive giveaways rather than a standalone New Year program.
Prior Instances
Earlier years like 2024 featured similar free items during countdown events, but 2025-2026 marked the latest confirmed one before mid-January 2026. No new program has launched since, as Winterfest typically wraps up early in the year.
What was the free reward in Fortnite 2025 New Year event
Fortnite’s 2025 New Year event did not feature a standalone free reward exclusive to the celebration. Instead, players accessed free cosmetics through the ongoing Winterfest 2025 event, which overlapped with the New Year’s period.
Key Rewards
Winterfest 2025 offered daily presents in the Winterfest Lodge until January 5, 2026, including skins like Glacial Dummy (after seven presents) and Cheeks (after 13 presents), plus items such as Festive Bat Pickaxe and Winterfest Bow Back Bling. A 15th bonus present added further free cosmetics, often highlighted in community content as tied to the festive season.
Event Context
The New Year’s in-game spectacle focused on fireworks and a ball drop repeating hourly on December 31, 2025, without dedicated New Year rewards beyond Winterfest gifts. Videos from the time emphasized these Winterfest items as the primary freebies during the transition to 2026.
