Fortnite’s ninth-birthday rewards have reportedly appeared in the v42.20 game files, giving players an early look at the cosmetics tied to this year’s anniversary celebration. Dataminer FireMonkey says the newly added rewards include a ninth-birthday Back Bling, a ninth-birthday Pickaxe and an FNCS Shield Back Bling. Epic Games has not formally announced the reward set yet, so the lineup should be treated as datamined content until the birthday event is officially detailed.
The timing fits with other birthday material already present around v42.20. Epic’s own developer documentation for the update references the returning Birthday Presents! item, including a known issue preventing it from being thrown on some prefab terrain. That confirms birthday-themed gameplay content is part of the current update cycle even though Epic has not yet published a full Battle Royale anniversary announcement.
Fortnite has traditionally used its birthday events to distribute free cosmetics through limited-time quests rather than the Item Shop. Earlier celebrations have offered Back Blings, Pickaxes, wraps, sprays and other commemorative items for completing birthday objectives. The newly discovered Back Bling and Pickaxe therefore follow the same basic structure as previous anniversary reward sets, although the exact quest requirements have not yet surfaced publicly.
FireMonkey’s datamine also identifies an FNCS Shield Back Bling among the rewards associated with the update. Fortnite has used shield-themed FNCS cosmetics before, including the Champion’s Shield Back Bling introduced during Chapter 3 Season 2, but the new datamined item appears to be tied to the current birthday content rather than simply confirming a shop return of that older cosmetic. Epic has not yet explained how the FNCS-themed reward will be earned or whether it will be tied to a separate competitive objective.
That competitive connection arrives as Fortnite prepares for another active FNCS period. Epic’s 2026 competitive schedule has FNCS events continuing through the autumn, making the appearance of a new FNCS-themed cosmetic alongside the anniversary update notable. Until Epic publishes the associated quests or competitive rules, however, there is no confirmation that the shield will require tournament participation.
The leak comes from the same type of game-file analysis that has recently exposed a number of upcoming Fortnite rewards before their official announcements. Recent updates have revealed everything from the Void Master Geno and Sprite Dust quest rewards to cosmetics attached to upcoming competitive events. Those findings can accurately expose assets and reward references already shipped in an update, but Epic can still change availability conditions before the content goes live.
Fortnite’s ninth birthday marks nine years since the original Fortnite release in 2017, although Battle Royale’s anniversary celebrations have historically centered on the September launch of the mode. Birthday events commonly bring decorated locations, cakes, presents and a short set of themed quests to the island. Epic has not yet confirmed the 2026 event’s start and end dates or detailed which modes will contain the returning birthday items.
The v42.20 files nevertheless provide the clearest indication yet of what players will be working toward. A birthday Back Bling and Pickaxe would form the core anniversary reward set, while the FNCS Shield adds a competitive-themed third cosmetic whose unlock method remains unknown. No birthday Outfit has been identified in FireMonkey’s reported reward list.
More information is likely to arrive once Epic activates the birthday quests and publishes the accompanying event details. For now, the ninth-birthday Back Bling, Pickaxe and FNCS Shield should be considered leaked v42.20 rewards rather than officially announced cosmetics.
