Fortnite Birthday Challenges Not Showing Up For Some After New Update

Update: Although the new Fortnite patch is out now and the birthday event is live, the new challenges are not available for everyone as intended. Epic has confirmed issues have arisen with the rollout, causing "some" players to be unable to access the challenges. However, that should be fixed before long; Epic says everyone will get the challenges when the in-game store refreshes today, July 24, at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET (1 AM BST on July 25). The original story follows.

A new update is on the way soon for Fortnite: Battle Royale. Coinciding with the game's first anniversary, Epic is rolling out the v5.10 patch on all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS--today, July 24, which will kick off a special, limited-time birthday event and introduce other new content to the battle royale game. [Update: The servers are now back online. You can read the full Fortnite 5.10 patch notes and our Fortnite 1st Birthday challenge guide to see everything that's new and what you'll need to do to get some fresh cosmetics.]

As usual, the v5.10 update is preceded by a period of server maintenance, during which time the game will temporarily be taken offline. As with most updates, Epic hasn't revealed how long the maintenance will last, but it started at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST. In most cases maintenance lasts between an hour or two.

Full patch notes for the v5.10 update will be shared once the maintenance period begins, but among the changes coming to Fortnite: Battle Royale is a buff for the Slurp Juice. As Epic detailed on Reddit, the Slurp Juice will now provide 75 points and prioritize HP. If your HP is full when the item is consumed, then the points will go toward your Shield.

Fortnite's in-game New Updates section also hints that a new weapon, the Compact SMG, is also on the way this week. The update doesn't provide very much information about the upcoming gun, but the accompany description calls it an "Epic and Legendary rarity SMG that excels at close quarters combat."

Fortnite's v5.10 update also marks the start of the aforementioned birthday event. For a limited time, all Fortnite players will be able to take on a set of special quests to unlock birthday-themed cosmetics and an XP bonus. According to the game's official website, there will be three different quests to complete, each of which offers a different reward. Players who manage to complete all three of the quests before the event ends on August 7 will receive a Birthday Cake Back Bling.