When is Fortnite Save the World free to play, and what rewards can you get for pre-registering?

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When is Fortnite Save the World free to play, and what rewards can you get for pre-registering? Guides By Iain Wilson published 11 March 2026

Fortnite Save the World goes free to play from April 16, but you can unlock free rewards by pre-registering to hit community milestones

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Fortnite Save the World free to play has been almost a decade in the making, since this mode launched as a precursor to the battle royale we all know and love in 2017, and discussions around it becoming free to play go back as far as 2018! That never materialized and ever since players have had to purchase Save the World, initially as a standalone product then later as part of Item Store bundles, but that's all about to change. Here's everything you need to know about Save the World going free to play in Fortnite, and what rewards you can earn by pre-registering now.

When and where can you play Fortnite Save the World for free?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Save the World launches as a free to play title that everyone can access on April 16, 2026, at which point it will no longer be locked behind purchasing a game pack with it included as an extra. Until then, new purchases of Save the World have been paused as of March 11, though if you're a current player you can still access it during this time.When it releases, you'll be able to play Fortnite Save the World free to play on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and various cloud gaming services. This means Save the World will not be available on the original Nintendo Switch, or smartphones and tablets (including cloud gaming), so you won't be able to experience it on those platforms.

Also, to be clear – the original Founders who invested in the initial Early Access will still continue to earn V-Bucks by completing Daily Quests, Mission Alerts, Storm Shield Defense Missions, and existing Challenges, but other current and new free to play participants will not receive any V-Bucks by playing Save the World.

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How to get Fortnite Save to World pre-registration rewards

(Image credit: Epic Games)

There are a number of Fortnite Save the World pre-registration rewards that you can earn, simply by visiting the Save the World site and hitting the big yellow REGISTER button towards the top of the page. Once you've connected your Epic account and completed that process, you'll be eligible to receive the following rewards if the community goal milestones are reached:

• 300,000 registered players – Save The World Jess Banner
• 700,000 registered players – Kyle's Construction Spray
• 1,000,000 registered players – Snowstrike Hero

Note that Snowstrike Hero is a reward specific to Save the World, so you won't be able to use that character in the battle royale or other Fortnite experiences. Assuming these milestones are hit, the rewards will be given to first-time players after completing the opening tutorial, while current players will received them in advance.

(Image credit: Epic Games)

To thank existing players for the last nine years of holding back the horde, those who have previously played Save the World will also receive the following items on April 16:

• 1x Hero Supercharger – Promote a Hero beyond Level 50
• 1x Weapon Supercharger – Promote a weapon beyond Level 50
• 1x Trap Supercharger – Promote a Trap beyond Level 50
• 5x Survivor Supercharger – Promote Survivors beyond Level 50
• 1x Hero Recruitment Voucher – Recruit a Hero of your choice
• 1x Weapon Research Voucher – Unlock a weapon of your choice
• 10,000 Gold – Spend in the Exchange for valuable items

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES Xbox One Xbox Series X PS4 PS5 PC Gaming Nintendo Switch 2 Platforms Xbox PlayStation Nintendo Iain WilsonSocial Links NavigationGuides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 1,000 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.

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