When Does 5 Person Squads Update for Fortnite Release? What to Expect!

What to know

• Fortnite 5-player squads (“Quints”) are now live in the limited-time playlist.
• The update released January 9, 2026 with scheduled early morning maintenance.
• It’s tied to the South Park: Born in Chaos event with themed content and items.
• Quints runs until February 5, 2026 and could influence future playlist options.

You’re now able to jump into Fortnite’s Quints mode — an expanded squad format that lets you team up with five players instead of the traditional four. This feature arrived with the v39.20 update on January 9, 2026, following scheduled maintenance earlier that morning, and marks the first official release of 5-player squads in Battle Royale.

This change comes as part of Fortnite’s South Park: Born in Chaos event, which collides the hit animated series with the battle royale island. Alongside Quints, you’ll find new themed loot, cosmetics, and gameplay elements: iconic South Park characters (in mech outfits suited for Fortnite’s gameplay) are available as purchasable skins, and a free Born in Chaos Pass lets you unlock additional themed rewards without spending V-Bucks.

The Born in Chaos event also adds a new Point of Interest called Cartmanland, along with South Park-inspired items such as healing consumables and abilities tied to franchise lore. These items and map changes give the Battle Royale meta a fresh twist while the event lasts.

Quints itself is live now and available in the main Battle Royale playlist. It’s set to run until February 5, 2026, when the South Park crossover wraps up. Epic Games hasn’t confirmed whether 5-player squads will become a permanent playlist option, but early signals from developers suggest its popularity during this test period could influence future decisions.