Fortnite’s trailer reveals collaboration with ‘South Park’: New game mode, skins and more to come

Fortnite is set to roll out a major update in collaboration with the animated series South Park on January 9. This update, which is the first major release of 2026, will introduce several character skins and a new limited-time game mode. For the first time, players will be able to team up in five-player squads, a feature that has been highly anticipated since it was first leaked.The new five-player mode is scheduled to go live in less than 24 hours and will remain in the game until February 5.The collaboration also includes skins of the iconic characters Cartman, Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Butters; these will be shown garbed in special mech-style suits. The update will also bring a new point of interest into Cartmanland and a special "Stick of Truth" item that players will be able to scavenge and utilise in their matches.While many followers initially expected the five-player squad mode to arrive at the start of Chapter 7, Epic Games chose to debut the feature alongside this event. The update will be available to all players following a short period of server maintenance.The update will introduce a new five-player squad mode called "Quints". It isn't known yet whether this larger team size will be available across all game modes, including Battle Royale, Zero Build, and Fortnite OG. However, it's possible that Epic is just testing community reception before making permanent changes.The official trailer reveals the signature style of animation for which the show is known. In it, the main four characters leave Butters sitting alone in a game lobby because he "lowkey" sucks at Fortnite. Wearing his Professor Chaos costume, Butters uses the Stick of Truth to turn the South Park school bus into a Battle Bus, transporting everyone into the Fortnite world. This forces the group to add him as their fifth squad member, naturally introducing the new Quints feature.Epic is also changing its approach to the Born in Chaos pass, making it free rather than charging for it as with previous mini passes. However, the South Park character skins won't be part of the pass and have to be bought separately from the in-game store. The event will consist of Towelie as a sidekick and a Cartmanland area with hidden Easter eggs.This crossover follows other recent Fortnite collaborations with Kill Bill, Kim Kardashian, and Percy Jackson.