Fortnite is finally fixing that awkward moment when you have five friends online but can only squad up with three of them. Epic Games is dropping a brand new mode called Quints this Friday, and it’s going to change how you play Battle Royale with your crew. Here is everything you need to know about Fortnite Quints mode.
What is Fortnite Quints Mode?
Quints is a new playlist that bumps up the team size from four to five players. Instead of leaving one friend behind or splitting into two squads, you can now bring your whole group into one match. The mode works just like regular Battle Royale, except now you have an extra teammate watching your back.
Popular Fortnite leakers Hypex and Shiina shared the news, and they’ve got a solid track record with this stuff. According to them, you’ll be able to jump into Quints mode right when the South Park collab drops on Friday, January 9th, 2026. You can even see the mode shared within the South Park collaboration trailer, where Butters plays Fortnite on his PC, and it’s actually the Quints mode.
Will Quints Mode Be Permanent?
Sadly, the new mode isn’t sticking around forever. Here’s what you need to know about the schedule:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Start Date | Friday, January 9th, 2026 |
| End Date | Thursday, February 5th, 2026 |
| Duration | Nearly two months |
| Availability | Limited time mode |
You’ve got almost two months to try out five-player squads, so there’s plenty of time to get your friend group together and test it out. If players end up enjoying it, there’s a good chance Epic could make it permanent, similar to what happened with Blitz Royale.
How Is a 5-Player Squad Different from Normal Ones?
With five players on a team, matches will have 20 different squads battling it out instead of 25 teams of four. So fights will definitely be going to get wild. You’ll have more firepower when you run into another team, but you’ll also need better communication to keep everyone on the same page.
Coordinating with four other people means more voices in the party chat, more loot to share, and more strategy to plan out. Being the last player alive on your team is going to feel even more intense when you know four teammates are counting on you to win the Victory Royale.
The extra teammate also gives you more options during fights. You can send three players to push while two hold back, or split into a 3-2 formation to cover more ground. Your squad can revive downed teammates faster with more hands on deck, too, since now you can actually drive the Reboot van.
Right now, we don’t know if regular Squads mode will stay available or if Epic will temporarily remove it to push everyone toward Quints. Either way, this is your chance to experience Fortnite in a completely new way. Grab your friends and get ready for some chaotic five-player action this Friday.
