Fortnite v19.01 hotfix: New Shield Keg item & end of Winterfest event

The Shield Keg is live in-game now and appears to be an instant favorite.

Epic Games staff only returned from their holiday break on Monday but are already right back in the swing of things. Yesterday they announced the Fortnite All Valley Cup, where players can win a selection of Cobra Kai-themed cosmetics, and now we have a small content update too.

Building on December’s v19.01 patch, the January 4 hotfix adds a brand-new item to the exciting Chapter 3 loot pool. This is just a prelude to the huge mid-season update which is predicted to arrive in the next week or two.

So what is this fresh piece of kit? Originally teased in the Season 1 gameplay trailer, the Shield Keg is a powerful new way to replenish you guessed it…shields!

Shield Kegs are available in Chests, Supply Drops and floor loot, and can also be purchased from the Lt. John Llama and The Scientist NPCs with gold bars.

Chuck one down and they will spray out a fountain of blue liquid, slowly granting shield to anyone in the immediate vicinity (including enemies). Unlike Chug Splashes or Slurp Barrels however, these will not affect your ‘white’ health.

Check out some Shield Keg gameplay below from @ImEntoYT:

Winterfest

Additionally, Epic used today’s news as a chance to remind fans that the Winterfest holiday event will be ending on January 6 at 9AM ET. Be sure to sign in before then to claim any remaining gifts and complete Sgt. Winter’s bonus Quests.

Keep an eye out for Tilted Towers, tornadoes, lightning, Mythic weapons and more in the coming weeks. It’s about to get spicy!