Fortnite 9th Birthday: Cake Crusher Pickaxe, Free Skin & All Rewards

Fortnite's ninth birthday celebration is live from 21 September until 1 October, and this year's free rewards come from three different places. Nine Birthday quests unlock a Back Bling, the Cake Crusher Pickaxe and a second Back Bling as you complete them; a Lobby Hack code revealed during the event unlocks a Birthday Sprite Spray; and a free 9th Birthday Skin goes to players who master 28 Sprites this season. The window is short — ten days, closing when Fortnitemares begins — and the quests don't all unlock the moment the event starts. Here is every reward, how each one is earned, and when to log in.

When the event starts and ends

The birthday event went live on 21 September, but the quests and their rewards unlock later that day at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. If you logged in early and couldn't make progress, that is why. The same moment converts to:

• 13:00 UTC
• 14:00 BST / 15:00 CEST
• 20:00 WIB
• 21:00 SGT / PHT
• 22:00 JST

The event runs until 1 October, when Fortnitemares takes over. That gives roughly ten days, which is plenty for nine quests — but the rewards are limited-time, and birthday cosmetics from past years haven't returned on a schedule.

The nine Birthday quests and their rewards

This year Epic has kept the structure simple: nine quests, with rewards unlocking at quest-count milestones rather than for specific quests.

• 3 quests completed: Choco-9 Cake Back Bling
• 6 quests completed: Cake Crusher Pickaxe
• 9 quests completed: an FNCS-themed Back Bling

Because the rewards track the number of quests completed, not which ones, you can skip a quest that doesn't suit how you play and still reach the first two milestones. To get the full set, though, all nine are required.

That is a change from last year, when birthday cosmetics unlocked through account levels earned during the event. The quest-count system is more direct: you know exactly how far you are from each reward, and XP from other modes won't carry you there on its own.

Birthday events traditionally bring back the celebration items on the island — cakes that restore health and shield, presents that drop loot, and balloons for movement — and this year's event files are reported to include the familiar cakes and a decorated Battle Bus. Several past birthday quests have tied into those items, so expect cakes and presents to play a part. Check the quest tab once it unlocks for this year's exact list.

The free 9th Birthday Skin

The biggest reward isn't in the quest track at all. The 9th Birthday Skin goes to players who master 28 Sprites during Chapter 7 Season 4. Sprites are this season's collectible system, and mastery is tracked in-game separately from the birthday quests.

Two things follow from that:

• Progress you've already made this season counts. If you've been working on Sprites since the season launched, you may be closer than you think.
• It's a bigger commitment than the quests. Twenty-eight is a real target, so check your mastery count early in the event rather than on the last weekend.

The 9th Birthday Sprite itself is scheduled to arrive on 26 September, which Epic has confirmed. Some players expected it with this week's regular Sprite update on 24 September; the confirmed date is the 26th — Fortnite Battle Royale's actual birthday.

The Birthday Sprite Spray: Lobby Hack code

The 9th Birthday Sprite Spray uses a different method again. Epic will reveal a Lobby Hack code during the event, and entering it in the lobby's Admin Panel unlocks the Spray.

At the time of writing, the code has not been revealed. Watch Epic's official channels during the event — codes like this are usually shared publicly by Epic rather than hidden in the game — and enter it as soon as it's out, since the Spray is part of the same limited window.

All the rewards at a glance

• Choco-9 Cake Back Bling — complete 3 Birthday quests
• Cake Crusher Pickaxe — complete 6 Birthday quests
• FNCS-themed Back Bling — complete all 9 Birthday quests
• 9th Birthday Sprite Spray — enter the Lobby Hack code in the Admin Panel once Epic reveals it
• 9th Birthday Skin — master 28 Sprites during Chapter 7 Season 4

Everything on the list is free. None of it needs V-Bucks or the Battle Pass.

A busy fortnight on the island

The birthday event overlaps with the season's biggest Item Shop drop: the Persona 5 Royal collaboration arrives on 25 September, with Joker and Ann as Outfits and Morgana as a Sidekick. The Birthday Sprite lands the following day, and Fortnitemares begins as the birthday event ends on 1 October. If your play time is limited, the priority order is clear: finish the nine quests first, since they need the least time for the most rewards; then push Sprite mastery if you're within reach of 28; and claim the Spray whenever the code appears.

Before 1 October

• Log in after 9 AM ET on 21 September (20:00 WIB) so the quests have unlocked.
• Complete at least six quests for the Choco-9 Cake Back Bling and the Cake Crusher Pickaxe; finish all nine for the FNCS Back Bling.
• Check your Sprite mastery count now if you want the free skin.
• Watch Epic's channels for the Lobby Hack code.
• Finish everything before 1 October, when Fortnitemares replaces the birthday event.

Celebrate with a full locker

A ten-day window alongside a major collab and the start of Fortnitemares rewards players who can keep up with all of it.

• Browse verified Fortnite accounts with rare birthday and crossover cosmetics already in the locker.
• Book Fortnite hourly services to work through quests and Sprite mastery by the hour.
• Order Fortnite boosting for ranked climbs and challenge completion.
• Stock V-Bucks for the Persona 5 Royal drop with a Fortnite top up from verified merchants.

Every order is covered by Buyer Protection, with payment released only after you confirm delivery.

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