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Fortnite's Winterfest begins today, offers free frozen banana man

As Tom Holland swings into the shop.

Fortnite's annual Winterfest holiday event begins again today, with another relatively generous offering of free items, Christmas-themed quests for XP and yet more new things to spend money on.

More than a dozen items will be given away - some more exciting than others - including the Polar Peely reskin. If you don't have a Peely (or six) in your character collection yet, now is your chance.

Epic Games is keeping some of its other freebies under wraps - literally - but players have already uncovered a Matrix-shaped present is also under the game's digital Christmas tree (thanks to the upcoming film's big Unreal Engine 5 tie-in).

Watch on YouTube

On the Island itself, angry Santa man Sgt. Winter is driving around in a truck, doling out daily quests for XP and other freebies.

Yet more items are available if you spend time browsing the game's hit-or-miss user-made mode, while a further free skin, Blizzabelle, is available if you log in to Fortnite during the event on PC via the Epic Games launcher.

Gameplay-wise, the seasonally-themed chiller grenades, snowball launchers, holiday presents and sneaky snowman items have all been unvaulted.

Onto the paid bits and pieces, which this year include the not-very-festive but certainly topical Spider-Man and MJ, as portrayed by Tom Holland and Zendaya in No Way Home. (Fun fact: this is Zendaya's second appearance as a Fortnite skin after her Dune character turned up previously.)

Winterfest is live now, and runs until 6th January at 2pm UK time.