Fortnite players have a new reason to gear up-Epic Games is offering the sleek Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe for free, and claiming it takes just a few quick steps. Here’s how to grab yours before the chance disappears.
Keeping with this spirit, Epic Games has added a brand new cosmetic to Fortnite Chapter 7 for the festival season, and this time, it’s a throwback to everyone’s favorite Star Wand pickaxe in a bright new form. This new reward is called the Starbrite Slasher pickaxe, and to get it, you’ll need to team up with your friends or even random teammates and work together to complete some quests as the Golden Coast island celebrates the Christmas festivities.
How to Unlock Free Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe in Fortnite Chapter 7
The Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe can be obtained by completing limited-time challenges featured in Fortnite Chapter 7. Players need to visit the Quests tab and finish specific event tasks tied to the current collaboration or seasonal event. Once the required objectives are completed, the pickaxe will appear in your Locker automatically. Keep an eye on Fortnite’s official news and social channels, as these types of rewards are only available for a short period.
The Starbrite Slasher pickaxe has become one of the bigger standouts in this year’s Winterfest rewards. To unlock it, you’ll need to complete the latest Squad Up quests, which we’ll get to a bit later.
This pickaxe features a unique and disproportionate star design, evoking a similar color scheme to the popular Brite Bomber skin. With Chapter 7 launching with a focus on Hollywood stars and celebrities, the design for the pickaxe feels surprisingly fitting.
All Fortnite Squad Up Quests and How to Complete Them
All Fortnite Squad Up Quests require teaming up with friends or other players to complete a series of objectives, such as finishing matches together, earning eliminations, and surviving specific numbers of Storm Circles. Progress can be tracked in the Quests tab, and completing enough challenges will reward players with the Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe. Make sure your party is set to the correct mode, as progress only counts in designated playlists.
The Squad Up quests are one of the many new milestone quests in Fortnite Winterfest 2025. To complete this quest, you need to complete escalating objectives involving Shiny Llamas, alongside your teammates. However, you have to play only Squads versions of Battle Royale, Reload, OG, or Blitz. Quest progression will not count in solos or duos.
Here’s a complete list of Squad Up quests in Fortnite and how to complete them:
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (100) – 12,000 XP (Collect Shiny Llamas while in a Squad from Loot Chests, Supply Drops, or by eliminating enemies)
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (200) – 10,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (300) – 8,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (400) – Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe and 6,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (500) – 4,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (600) – 2,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (700) – 1,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (800) – 1,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (900) – 1,000 XP
- Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others (1000) – 1,000 XP
Since this is a milestone quest, the objective of the quest remains unchanged: Collect Shiny Llamas in Squads with others. Reaching each milestone will lead you to a reward.
You can find the Squad Up quests in the Quests tab in the top bar of the Fortnite lobby, alongside the snowflake tab that takes you to the Winterfest lodge for gifts and rewards. It is important to remember that the Squad Up! quests are time-limited. You have to grind and complete these quests before the Winterfest 2025 event ends.
How to Collect Shiny Llamas
Shiny Llamas are special loot boxes that appear randomly in Fortnite events and challenges, offering a chance to earn event rewards like the Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe. To collect them, join limited-time modes or complete specific in-game quests that list Shiny Llamas as rewards. Keep an eye on Fortnite’s news tab and official social media updates, as Epic Games often posts details about new llama drops and event schedules. Opening these llamas can grant exclusive items, so check your inventory after each event to claim your rewards.
Shiny Llamas are essentially special loot items. They will appear in your Fortnite match if you meet all the Squad Up quest conditions. You cannot see Shiny Llamas on the map by default, so you will have to target the correct loot sources.
You can find Shiny Llamas by opening rare/legendary chests or supply drops. Additionally, you also have a chance of acquiring Shiny Llamas by eliminating enemy players or NPCs during a match. It is advised that you keep your focus on combat-heavy zones in a match to have higher chances of coming across Shiny Llamas. Hopefully, you can grind out the Llamas you need before January 5, as that day will bring the end of Winterfest 2025.
While the Starbrite Slasher pickaxe is free to acquire through a quest, you don’t have to worry about it staying exclusive. Much like other recent event cosmetics and rewards, you can expect to see the Starbrite Slasher pickaxe in the Fortnite Item Shop later this season.
Best spots to find Shiny Llamas quickly
The fastest way to collect Shiny Llamas is by playing in hot, high-traffic zones where fights and chests are frequent, especially in fast modes like Blitz Royale or Reload. Here are the best current spots and strategies:
Best High-Traffic Zones (Battle Royale)
Land in these central, popular spots to maximize kills and chests:
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Tilted Towers – Lots of players, many chests, and constant fights; ideal for early kills and Llamas.
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Fatal Fields – Huge barns and buildings with many rare chests; good for both looting and ambush fights.
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Colossal Coliseum – Arena-like area with many NPCs and chests; great if bots are around.
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Chonker’s Speedway – High player density during races; lots of vehicle fights and chests.
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The Daily Bugle – Large map with many chest spawns and popular for mid-game fights.
Always look for rare chests and supply drops (both Battle and standard drops), since they drop Shiny Llamas on opening.
Best Spots in Fortnite OG & Reload
Since OG and Reload are map-based, these hotspots work well:
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Retail Row / Tilted Towers Classic – Very popular loot spots with lots of chests and fights.
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Dusty Depot – High loot density and many chests; good for quick farming.
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Risky Reels (Reload) – Many rare chests and constant fights; especially good in Blitz Royale.
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Pleasant Park – Central, popular area with many chests and NPC groups.
Stick to modes like Blitz Royale (Squads) for the fastest farming, as matches are short and packed with bots and chests.
How to Spot Shiny Llamas Fast
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Turn on “Show Shiny Llamas” in the map/quest options so they appear as glowing golden icons on the minimap.
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After kills, scan the ground near the enemy’s body; Shiny Llamas often drop close by.
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When opening a rare chest or supply drop, look at the ground right around it; Llamas spawn there when the chest is opened.
They look like a small golden llama figure and disappear after a few seconds, so move quickly to collect them.
Best Game Mode: Blitz Royale (Squads)
For the quickest grind, play Fortnite Blitz (Squads) because:
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Matches are very short (2-3 minutes), so you can do many rounds per hour.
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The map has many rare chests and supply drops, plus tons of bots to eliminate.
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A typical Blitz Squad match can give 8-13 Shiny Llamas per game, so you can reach 400 in about 40-50 well-played matches.
Farming Tips
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Always play in Squads – Solos, Duos, and Trios do not count for this quest.
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Play with friends or a consistent team; coordinated squads tend to survive longer and
Which game mode yields the most Shiny Llamas per hour
The game mode that gives the most Shiny Llamas per hour is Fortnite Blitz Royale (Squads), followed closely by Fortnite Reload (Squads).
Why Blitz Royale (Squads) is Best
Blitz gives the highest Shiny Llamas per hour because:
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Matches are very short (about 2-3 minutes), so you can play 20-30 matches per hour.
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Each match tends to give 8-13 Shiny Llamas on average when the squad survives a bit, opens chests, and gets kills.
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Blitz has many bots (NPCs) that are easy to eliminate, plus a high density of rare chests and supply drops, which reliably spawn Llamas.
With good squads, you can collect around 200-300 Shiny Llamas per hour in Blitz, making it the fastest way to reach the 400 needed for the Starbrite Slasher pickaxe.
How Reload (Squads) Compares
Fortnite Reload is a very strong second option:
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Matches are a bit longer (5-10 minutes) than Blitz, but still fast compared to regular Battle Royale.
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Reload has many chests, supply drops, and bots, so you still get a high number of Llamas per match.
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Players report getting similar or even higher Llama counts than Blitz in some cases, especially if the squad is experienced and farms chests well.
Reload is especially good if you want a slightly more relaxed pace than Blitz, but still want high Llama/hour.
Regular Battle Royale (Squads) & OG
In regular Battle Royale Squad modes (including Fortnite OG):
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Matches are longer (15-20 minutes), so you fit fewer games per hour.
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Llama drop rate per match is lower than Blitz/Reload because fewer chests and bots spawn in most playlists.
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You’ll still get decent progress, but it’s generally slower than Blitz or Reload for pure Llama/hour.
Practical Tips for Max Llamas/Hour
To maximize Llamas per hour:
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Play Blitz Squads or Reload Squads exclusively; avoid Solos, Duos, and Trios (they don’t count).
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Focus on opening as many rare chests and supply drops as possible, since they guarantee Llamas.
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Take down as many bots and enemy players as you can; each kill has a chance to drop a Shiny Llama.
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If bosses are present, prioritize them; bosses often drop multiple Llamas at once.
If you play Blitz Squads with a decent squad, you can usually finish the 400-Llama quest in 2-3 hours of focused play.
