Fortnite celebrated Battle Royale’s ninth birthday with two special Birthday Power Hours on September 26, 2026. These limited-time sessions gave players Presents at the start of matches, a chance to find special items, and new ways to collect cake slices with the Birthday Sprite. Each session lasted three hours instead of the usual two. If you missed the event or want to know exactly what happened, here are the Fortnite Birthday Power Hours times, match bonuses, and details about the separate Birthday quest rewards.
When Were the Fortnite Birthday Power Hours?
Epic Games held two Birthday Power Hour sessions on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Both have ended as of September 27. Epic has not announced another Birthday Power Hour in its event notice.
| Session | Eastern Time | India Standard Time |
|---|---|---|
| First session | September 26, 2–5 PM ET | September 26, 11:30 PM–September 27, 2:30 AM IST |
| Second session | September 26, 9 PM–September 27, 12 AM ET | September 27, 6:30–9:30 AM IST |
The second session ended at midnight Eastern Time on September 27, not noon. Players in India had until 9:30 AM IST on September 27 to join the final session.
What Happened During the Birthday Power Hours?
The Birthday Power Hours changed the items players could start with and find during Battle Royale matches. Epic confirmed four main bonuses for the sessions.
First, every player dropped into a match with Presents. That meant players did not have to search for a Present before trying out the birthday-themed loot.
The Exotic Balloon Popper Assault Rifle was also available to find in the wild. If you wanted to use this unusual weapon, the Power Hours gave you a chance to look for it during normal play.
Chests had a chance to contain 1-Up Tokens or Portable Extractors. A chance does not mean a guaranteed drop: opening one Chest would not necessarily give you either item.
Finally, Birthday Sprites joined the celebration. Their cake-slice effect gave players another reason to open Chests and level up an equipped Sprite during the event.
Related: Fortnite Birthday Cake Locations: Where to Find Them
What Did the Fortnite Birthday Sprite Do?
Equipping a Birthday Sprite let players find cake slices in Chests. Cake slices could help players recover during a match, making them useful when healing items were scarce.
The Sprite gained an additional effect at max level. Once fully leveled, it could produce cake slices from eliminations as well as Chests. This made its effect more useful for players who stayed active in fights.
The supplied gameplay video describes the Chest effect as applying from levels one through four. Epic’s announcement confirms the Chest and max-level elimination effects, but does not provide that exact level-by-level breakdown.
Importantly, starting a match with a Present did not mean every player automatically received a Birthday Sprite. Epic listed those as separate event features. To benefit from the Sprite effect, players needed to have one equipped.
Were the Free Birthday Cosmetics Part of Power Hour?
The Birthday Power Hours were only one part of Fortnite’s wider ninth-birthday celebration. The free cosmetic rewards mentioned in the gameplay video were associated with Birthday quests, rather than being automatic rewards for entering a Power Hour match.
Reported quest rewards included the Choco-9 Cake Back Bling, Cake Crusher Pickaxe, and FNCS Sentry Back Bling. Players should check the in-game Birthday quest tab for the requirements and remaining time shown on their accounts. Do not assume that playing a Power Hour alone completed those quests or granted all three items.
This distinction matters if you joined the event and are looking for a missing reward. The Power Hour bonuses affected matches, while the cosmetics had their own quest progress.
Can You Still Play a Fortnite Birthday Power Hour?
No. As of September 27, 2026, both Birthday Power Hours announced by Epic have finished. The first session began at 2 PM ET on September 26, and the second began at 9 PM ET the same day. Each ran for three hours.
Epic’s announcement does not list a third session or a repeat date. While the wider Birthday quests may have their own availability period, that does not mean the Power Hour match bonuses are still active. Check Fortnite’s in-game news if you want to confirm whether Epic schedules another event.
