The whispers around the annual Winterfest party event for Epic Games in Fortnite is the catching of a very good rumor. The tipster that hinted this nice rumor was the most prevalent leaker, HYPEX. Cryptic ups and downs the leaker went; from the caption ‘MORE WINTERFEST DECORATION SOON (Gingerbreads)’ and an accompanying picture of what looks like a new in-game accessory that already got the players talking and questioning each other about the festive update.
So, what’s the deal? Around Christmas time, Epic announces a snow festival through a series of interlinked events called Winterfest. The whole island of Fortnite receives a massive change in decoration representing the festive season. Alongside the free rewards, players are allowed to stay longer in the lodges and participate in various cheerful seasonal activities. The leak that was mentioned refers to the appearance of the gingerbread-themed decorations along with Winterfest where the gingerbread was the main attraction. The only picture the leaker posted might lack significance, but it is definitely sufficient for the players to become more and more imaginative with their own ideas.
Is the gigantic gingerbread house the next in line? Or the edible walls? Anything is possible, and the players have started to express their wishes by responding to the tweets.
The responses are incredible fun. The thread beneath HYPEX’s tweet is full of noise—the players’ typical hype, asking for things, and misunderstandings are transparent here. One of the major trends is that players are least looking forward to the return of the ‘Merry Munchkin’ back bling. ‘OffRedd’ commented, ‘EPIC! MAKE MERRY MUNCHKIN A SIDEKICK AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!’ which many people will agree is an appropriate way to express the vibe. Besides, quite a number of players have also called for the little fellow to be brought back as a pet or a sidekick. It is pretty clear that, for a lot of people, Winterfest is not complete without their cookie friend.
However, it is not cookies that are mingling. The questions keep coming at a high pace. ‘When is the winter fest?’ was the question from swervykingx2 and ‘con’ and ‘XxQuickPlaysxX’ were among many asking the same thing. The thrill is almost intolerable! Amid all the guesses and the players’ jostling, one guess was the most precise—the player’s guess suggested the update for the next Monday or Tuesday, which sounds very much the case, given Epic’s usual patch schedule. The players, however, are very critical of the gamers and have a good laugh at it. A user named ‘SonicFan4Life’ made a very serious comment indicating a double standard in the game: ‘So lemme get this straight, they at least have Christmas props but can’t make the entire map snowy yet can make FUCKING BRICK LIFE FULLY SNOWY WITH PROPS?’ The gamers have a valid point! Why is the Lego mode getting the winter treatment first before the core Battle Royale map? Gamers notice these things, and they talk about them.
The demands, on the other hand, are non-stop. They go beyond just gingerbread men. The community is using this leak as a pretext to ask for everything and anything. Emz Gaming started—literally—a complete session for cooperation with Barbie, Winx Club, Monster High, and My Little Pony, all with mock-up images co-posted. ‘Human Legacy’ is making a strong case for Doctor Who, saying, ‘It may be possible this Christmas, the show has had many Christmas episodes! Lol.’ And in a less common but heartfelt request, ‘THEY BROUGHT BACK OG PARADIGM’ noted, ‘And as always: another year of nothing Hanukkah related.’ It’s unbelievable that such a major event is annualy focusing on just one holiday of the religion that seems to be everywhere.
Nevertheless, the disorder has resulted in some very good and very innocent signs of “Fortnite” spirit. One user, with the username ‘100xWalmart’, said: ‘gingerbread chaos always hits harder than expected, Fortnite winterfest stays underrated prove me wrong,’ and perhaps that is the reality. The event’s being a fan favorite is no coincidence; it is free, it is entertaining, and it is full of surprises. Another user stated, “The best part of Winterfest is that it’s free!!” Now that’s the true magic! In a game full of microtransactions, getting a bunch of cool holiday loot just for logging in is a huge win for the players.
This begs the question of what implications this has for the coming update? It suggests that Epic is literally cooking up something sweet. Likely that the gingerbread decorations can be regarded as just the tip of the iceberg. Previous Winterfests ushered in snowball fighting, rare 5 player squads to Battle Royale, and other festive modes.
