Fortnite: How to Find Sgt. Winter

It seems an iconic, gift-giving character has mysteriously gone missing in Fortnite‘s latest Winterfest celebration. If you’re trying to complete the “collect an item inside a present” quest or want to see if you’re getting more than coal this holiday season, you’ll need to know where to find Sgt. Winter in Fortnite.

Is Sgt. Winter in Fortnite Winterfest 2023?

I still remember writing about Sgt. Winter during last year’s Winterfest. Aside from holiday-themed quests, wintery cosmetics, and snowy items like the Sneaky Snowmando, nothing is more festive than tracking down Sgt. Winter’s truck by following the sound of Christmas music. Of course we all knew he was set to return during this year’s event.

But he was already supposed to make his long-awaited return by now. Unfortunately, no one has actually been able to locate Sgt. Winter since Epic added his challenge in the game. So, where is he?

The official Fortnite Status account on X (Twitter) confirmed that the team is aware that there’s an issue preventing Sgt. Winter from appearing on the island. But it’s not clear exactly what caused this strange bug in the first place. The tweet stated that “Sgt. Winter appears to have slept in today and hasn’t shown up on the Island yet.“

Perhaps he had too many cookies before going to bed!

RELATED: How to Enable 2FA and Protect Your Fortnite Account

How to Find Sgt. Winter in Fortnite

Once he’s less groggy, you should be able to find Sgt. Winter on the island’s main roads, riding his Santa-esque, sleigh-like truck. He’s delivering under the “Ship It! Express” brand now, bringing all Fortnite players 14 free gifts for a limited time. If you can find him, that is.

The fastest way to track him down is by getting a vehicle of your own and driving along the roads. Though, it’s not impossible on foot either. Once you locate him, he’ll distribute Pepper Mint candy and gifts. If this is your first-ever Winterfest, you’ll also be happy to know that he’s a friendly Boss, so you don’t have to worry about fighting him. In fact, the Pepper Mints he hands out will give you five HP and the Pepper Effect when consumed.

That answers the question: Where is Sgt. Winter in Fortnite? Hopefully his absence is the last Winterfest hiccup that we’ll encounter this year. In the meantime, be sure to get your winter rewards before the event ends on January 2, 2024. For more on the game, take a gander at our guides hub where we cover topics like how to get and use the snowball launcher.