Fortnite’s first major update of 2026 is here with a fresh update on January 9, full of bug fixes and the addition of a new collaboration, with new items available for purchase in the Item Shop and a bunch of free rewards added.
With Chapter 6 Season 1 not due to end until early March, there’s still plenty to offer before significant tweaks are made to the map and the content, and Epic Games has plenty up its sleeves.
For a full breakdown of everything added in the Fortnite v39.20 update on January 9, Insider Gaming has all the details on the patch notes.
Fortnite v39.20 January 9 Update Patch Notes
South Park Collab
By far the biggest introduction in the Fortnite update on January 9 is the start of the South Park collab, which provides all players with the free ‘Born in Chaos’ Pass that provides 13 South Park-themed items, including the Backpack of CRED Back Bling, Terrance and Phillip Pickaxe, and the Cheesy Poofs Rocketship Emote.
In matches, players can hunt down a new Mythic item, the Stick of Truth, utilize the new Cheesy Poofs that can heal yourself or damage enemies, and automatically trigger a reboot with Kenny’s Respawn Token. On top of this, the Wonkeeland POI has received a makeover, transforming into Cartmanland.
In the Item Shop, South Park skins are available, with the full bundle costing 4,000 V-Bucks and providing five skins. Additionally, the Towelie Sidekick is being added, costing 1,500 V-Bucks.
OG Sky Lighting Returns
Revealed before Epic Games entered the Christmas break, the Fortnite team has been listening to the requests from the community and will bring a fresh lighting approach to Fortnite OG, which is “inspired by the original Sky Lighting” and will “recapture the authentic atmosphere players remember from OG.”
A before-and-after picture shared by FortniteStatus on X showed the changes, with a darker approach to the Sky Lighting in the 39.20 update.
Bug Fixes
The January 9 update also brings a host of bug fixes to Fortnite, which were revealed before Christmas, including tweaks to vehicle health bars, the restoration of OG vending machines, and Self-Revive activation prompts appearing immediately after a player is downed.
The full list of bug fixes in Fortnite v39.20 is below:
- Self-Revive Devices activation prompts will appear the moment you’re knocked.
- Players will be able to shoot from the hip after jumping again.
- Vehicle health bars will appear on the HUD while driving.
- Jumping + ADS interactions will be fully removed from OG.
- Legendary Dual Pistols will no longer spawn in Supply Drops in OG.
- Misplaced foliage and shrubbery will be removed in multiple areas on the OG map.
- Missing OG Vending Machines will be restored across the Island.
- OG All Terrain Karts will handle more closely to original Season 7 behavior.
- Terrain gaps will be resolved in OG at multiple locations, including trees near Dusty Diner.
What do you want to see added to Fortnite this year? Share your ideas in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more Fortnite, check out the rumors of a Chainsaw Man collab coming to the game, and take a look at the ranking of every Fortnite season in 2025.
