Fortnitemares 2026: Start date and what to expect

It's almost spooky season in Fortnite, with Fortnitemares 2026 set to start later this week!

The annual celebration of all things scary brings horror icons from film, TV and gaming to the Battle Royale for one month a year.

This year, we've already got one major collaboration confirmed, but that's far from the only thing to look forward to.

So, for the details on the Fortnitemares 2026 start date and what you can expect, read on!

When does Fortnitemares 2026 start?

Fortnitemares 2026 begins on 1 October 2026.

That's this Thursday! As per usual, the Fortnite servers will go down in the morning for its routine maintance.

After an hour or two, once the update is complete, we'll be able to jump in and enjoy all of the new Fortnitemares action – on which note…

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The first thing to get out of the way is that Five Nights at Freddy's is coming to Fortnite – we've got an entire guide to that collaboration for you to check out!

But there's plenty more to look forward to in this year's event.

As for the other collabs already confirmed by Epic Games, we've got:

• Beetlejuice
• Slender Man
• The Purge
• Black Clover
• Obsession
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy Kruger)

The key art for all these crossovers has already been revealed, but apart from Freddy Kruger getting his own skin, the specifics of what each collab will involve are still under wraps.

We also don't know when in October these collabs will be added to the Item Shop, and based on previous years, we're expecting them to receive staggered releases throughout the month.

These may not be all the collabs we have to look forward to either. Last year, the Wednesday Addams crossover was not announced until a few weeks into the Fortnitemares event, so Epic Games could have some secrets up their sleeve yet!

Beyond the collabs, there are of course some original Fortnite skins to look forward to, with a doll theme apparent throughout.

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Alex Raisbeck is a Gaming Writer at Radio Times, covering everything from AAA giants to indie gems. Alex has written for VideoGamer, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, PCGamesN and more.