South Park is in Fortnite — here are 5 things you need to do first

South Park arriving in Fortnite was never going to be a quiet, cosmetic-only affair. This is a show that’s spent nearly three decades gleefully poking holes in pop culture, corporate nonsense and modern life in general, so simply flogging a few skins in the Item Shop would have felt like a missed opportunity. Thankfully, Epic Games has gone much bigger than that.

The South Park: Born in Chaos crossover doesn’t just dress Fortnite up in mech suits and catchphrases. It rewires core gameplay systems, introduces a new squad size, adds items that mess with the basic rules of Battle Royale, and hands over a major named location to Cartman’s ego. There’s also a rare sight in modern Fortnite: a completely free event pass that requires you to play the game to earn its best rewards.

In short, this is one of Fortnite’s more ambitious collaborations, the kind that changes how a match unfolds rather than just how your character looks. Here are five things you should do (or at least check out) when firing up the game.

1. Try Quints

Born in Chaos - South Park Drops Into Fortnite! - YouTube

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The single biggest shake-up is the introduction of Quints, a five-player version of Battle Royale, available in both Build and Zero Build modes. This is the first new permanent-feeling squad size Epic has introduced since Trios arrived years ago, and it changes how matches play out.

Five-player teams mean messier fights, longer engagements and more chaos, which feels very on-brand for South Park. Whether Quints sticks around beyond the event is unclear, but it’s absolutely worth jumping in while it’s live.

2. Hunt down Kenny’s Respawn Token

Kenny’s Respawn Token is one of the strangest (and potentially most game-breaking) items Fortnite has added in a while. If you’re carrying one when you’re eliminated, you’ll automatically reboot, no van, no teammate intervention required.

How common these tokens are will make or break them, but the concept alone is wild. It’s Fortnite openly messing with its own stakes, and it adds a delicious layer of paranoia: did that enemy just die for good, or are they about to pop straight back into the fight?

3. Weaponise Cheesy Poofs

At first glance, Cheesy Poofs look like another generic healing item. They’ll restore health. They can heal teammates. But they can also be thrown directly at enemies to deal damage.

This solves a problem Fortnite players didn’t realise they’d been living with for years: accidentally lobbing a healing item at someone when you meant to pull out a weapon. Now, if you panic and throw Cheesy Poofs instead, it might work in your favour.

4. Grab the Stick of Truth

Only one Stick of Truth spawns per match, and whoever claims it becomes the most hunted player on the island, not because they gain superpowers, but because the storm will centre on them for the rest of the game.

The Stick doesn’t make you stronger; it makes you important. Suddenly, positioning, movement and survival become everyone else’s problem. Expect chaos, ambushes and deeply unfair endings.

5. Explore Cartmanland and grind the free event pass

The northwest POI formerly known as Wonkeeland has been reskinned into Cartmanland, complete with Cartman’s face plastered everywhere. It’s familiar, but obnoxious, which is kind of the point.

While you’re there, make sure you’re progressing the Born in Chaos mini-pass. For the first time in almost two years, Fortnite has introduced a new event pass that’s completely free, with 13 unlockable tiers earned through South Park-themed quests. Highlights include Terrance and Phillip pickaxes, a CRED backpack, and, if you complete everything, the Imaginationland Airship glider.

Add in mech-suit skins for Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Cartman and Butters, plus a Towelie sidekick, and this crossover feels less like a promo and more like a takeover.

South Park in Fortnite launches Friday, the 9th of January, and runs until Thursday, the 5th of February.

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