Epic Games launched the Cuddles and Chaos event in Fortnite today, July 24, giving players until August 25 to complete quests, earn free cosmetics, and explore a new category of Creative islands built entirely around sidekick gameplay.
The event is essentially a spotlight for creature games, a new Creative Island category that Epic has been quietly building toward. These are player-made maps designed around sidekicks, the free-roaming companion creatures Epic introduced back in November 2025 as a significant upgrade over the original back bling pets from Chapter 1 Season 6. Sidekicks follow players through matches, stay invisible to opponents, and can be customized with cosmetics earned through Sidekick Points. Creature games take that foundation and build entire island experiences around it.
What's actually inside the event
The Cuddles and Chaos category lives inside the Discovery section of the Play tab. Scroll down to Game Collections, select Cuddles and Chaos, and you'll find two tiers of featured content. The Exceptional Creature Games slot currently highlights Sidekick Wars and Sidekick Masters. Below that, the Creature Standouts section pulls in a broader mix, including Astropets Tycoon and Pets vs Brainrots.
The creator-made islands themselves are permanent additions to Fortnite's library. The event framing around them, including the quests and the free rewards, runs only until August 25.
Free cosmetics on the table
Here's the lowdown on what players can actually earn from this event:
The KATS Turntable Twitch drop is time-sensitive. To claim it, you'll need to watch one of five participating streamers for at least 30 minutes today. The eligible creators are Mayahiga, BoxyFresh, Carynandconnie, Ronnie, and Eeowna.
The Panda Team Jr. sidekick is the bigger prize for most players, and it costs zero V-Bucks. You'll want to check our guide on how to get the Panda Team Jr. Sidekick for free once Epic re-enables the quests, since that's where the step-by-step breakdown lives.
Seven years of pet history, finally paying off
The Cuddles and Chaos event is the latest step in what has been a genuinely long road for creature companions in Fortnite. Epic first tried pets in 2018 during Chapter 1 Season 6, but they were cosmetic-only back blings with a few animations and no real gameplay role. The idea was shelved for years before sidekicks relaunched the concept properly in late 2025 with actual in-match presence.
Creature games and this event represent Epic pushing that system further into the game's creative ecosystem. The key here is that Epic isn't just adding cosmetics tied to a theme; they're building an entire content category around the sidekick mechanic and giving island creators the tools to design around it. That's a meaningful distinction from a standard seasonal event.
For players who want the full picture on what else is active in Fortnite right now, the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 patch notes breakdown covers every confirmed feature currently in the game, from new weapons to map changes.
