For the last few weeks, Fortnite players have been enjoying a rare luxury: the ability to queue up with four other friends in the limited-time “Quints” (5-player squads) mode. Introduced alongside the massive South Park collaboration on January 9, 2026, this mode was Epic Games’ answer to a decade-old request from the community. However, as the “Born in Chaos” event nears its conclusion in early February, Epic has confirmed that Quints will vanish from the playlist menu, returning the Battle Royale cap to the standard four-player squad.
Fortnite Quints Removal: 5-Player Squads to Vanish
The introduction of Quints was a thematic masterstroke, tying directly into the South Park narrative where Butters is often the odd one out among Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny. Gameplay-wise, it shifted the meta drastically. With 20 teams of five dropping onto the island, engagements became longer and more chaotic. The sheer volume of fire from a five-person team meant that building structures were shredded in seconds, and reviving teammates became a high-stakes gamble.
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Implications of the Removal
The removal of Quints has several immediate implications for the player base:
- The Return of the “Split Lobby”: The most social impact is the return of the hard four-player cap. Friend groups of five will once again have to split into a Duo and a Trio or rotate players out, killing the momentum of large group gaming sessions.
- Strategic Shifts: Quints forgave individual mistakes because four teammates could cover for one downed player. Returning to Squads (4v4) or Trios means individual positioning becomes critical again. A single knock in a Trio match is far more devastating than in a Quints match.
- Vehicle & Loot Economy: One subtle benefit of Quints was how it stressed the loot economy—finding enough shields for five people was tough. The return to standard squads will normalize loot distribution, making it easier for teams to be fully kitted by the second circle.
Will Fortnite Quints Ever Return?
While the mode is set to vanish after the South Park event, there is a glimmer of hope. Fortnite design leads have hinted on social media that the permanence of such modes depends entirely on engagement data. If the player count for Quints remained high throughout January, we might see it return as a rotating LTM or perhaps even a permanent fixture in Chapter 7.
For now, however, players have only a few weeks left to enjoy the chaos. If you have a full roster of five, get your drops in now before the party bus shrinks back down to size.
