It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with Fortnite officially kicking off the Winterfest 2025 celebrations with a new update on December 18, bringing a host of additions in the patch notes.
The annual Fortnite celebration brings new collabs, free rewards, new weapons, and map changes, along with plenty of other tweakls, and Insider Gaming has a full breakdown of all the biggest changes.
Fortnite December 18 Update Winterfest 2025 Patch Notes
We’ve broken down all the major changes to Fortnite with the December 18 update, which marks the start of Winterfest 2025 and is the final patch of the year, into sections below.
Winterfest 2025 Rewards
Fortnite’s annual celebration around the festive season has begun, with free rewards available to claim as a result, including Skins, Emotes, and more.
A total of 14 rewards are available to claim, along with two skins once you have claimed seven and 13 rewards. One gift can be opened daily, with a refresh at 9 AM ET.
Shop Collabs
A host of big collabs are available in the shop during Winterfest, including festive-themed skins for Sabrina Carpenter and Hatsune Miku, but the big addition is the Harry Potter franchise, with customizable skins for your favorite Hogwarts house.
There’s even more on the horizon, too, with Sidekicks coming for SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, while Batman Beyond is also poised to appear.
Map Changes
The main Battle Royale island has seen some changes with the update, with snow spreading around the northern section of the map.
Areas modified for Winterfest 2025 include Wonkeeland, Tiptop Terrace, Latte Landing, and Painted Palms, with fresh secrets to uncover as you fight for victory.
Bleach Collab
Winterfest 2025 has a bunch of returning collabs, including new skins for the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Hatsune Miku, but there’s also a brand-new collab landing in the Item Shop, along with in-game content.
Bleach is the latest major anime to receive a collab in Fortnite for 2025, following on from the likes of Kaiju No. 9, Cowboy Bebop, and One Punch Man.
Alongside items to purchase in the Item Shop, two new Mythic weapons will be available at an undetermined date: the Fully-Hollowfied Ichigo Mask and Dual Zangetsu.
Festive Weapons
Two festive weapons have been added to rotation in the Winterfest 2025 update, with Blizzard Grenades and Snowball launchers available for players.
It’s not clear yet whether there is any specific method to obtaining the weapons, or whether they are random loot from chests and the ground.
What is your favorite part about the Fortnite Winterfest 2025 update? Share your thoughts in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more Fortnite, find out where to find Crackshot’s Cabin in Fortnite OG, and check out details of the $2.5m Reload Elite Series.
