Fortnite 19.01 Patch Notes (January 4) Introduce The Shield Keg

The Fortnite 19.01 patch for January 4 is now live, and the update brings a new way to shield your squad, the end of the holiday Winterfest event, and the melting of the snow that's covered most of the map…revealing whatever may lie underneath.

Fortnite 19.01 Patch Notes - January 4

The major addition to the loot pool is the Shield Keg, a massive keg filled with shield-giving Slurp. The player with the keg sets it down to activate, and every teammate in the spray radius immediately gains Shield--with enough Slurp to fill everyone to full shield strength. However, any enemy in that radius also gains Shield, so be sure to use it only when no enemies are around. If you need a refresher, check out the 0:50 mark of the Chapter 3 Season 1 trailer from early December.

Shield Kegs can be found in Chest, Supply Drops, and floor loot, and one can also be purchased with gold bars from NPCs Lt. John Llama and The Scientist.

Meanwhile, this update will mark the end of Fortnite's Winterfest, which officially comes to a close later this week. Players can log in to open 14 gifts--including Krisabelle and Polar Peely skins--and complete the extra winter-themed Quests between now and January 6 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET.

Meanwhile, the end of Winterfest means the eventual melting of the snow blanketing the majority of the map. If prominent Fortnite leaker Hypex is correct, this will also mark the return of the Imagined Order--which would explain Slone being the January 2022 Fortnite Crew skin. It looks as if the IO will be emerging from underground using transports with massive drills on the top. Based on the pictures in Hypex's tweet, we're wondering if Dr. Slone made a deal with Shredder before making her way back to the Island.