Fortnite Reload kicked off its Fortnitemares season on October 8, 2026, with Nitemare Island: Kado’s Curse. Elite Kado Thorne now runs the refreshed island, and the update, which arrived alongside the Fortnite 42.30 update, adds Siphon weapons, a new match modifier called The Hunt, and a fresh set of Map Mastery quests tied to Kado.
Those quests unlock six free cosmetics, including a pickaxe, a wrap, and four emotes. However, the pickaxe needs all 12 quests across three different maps, and one of those maps is set to leave rotation soon. Below, you’ll find every Kado Thorne quest, every reward threshold, and the order that gets you through them fastest.
How Kado Thorne quests work in Fortnite Reload
Kado Thorne quests are Reload Map Mastery quests. Each Reload map in the current rotation has four quests, giving you 12 in total. Every quest awards 10,000 XP, so clearing the full set adds 120,000 XP.
Importantly, these quests only progress in Reload, not in Battle Royale or Zero Build. Progress also stays tied to the map you play on. Eliminations on Nitemare Island do nothing for your Stranger Things quests, and vice versa.
Rewards unlock by total quests completed, not by which quest you finish. Any two quests get you the first emote, any four get the second, and so on.
All Fortnite Reload Kado Thorne quests
The same four quest types repeat on each map. Only the first elimination quest names the map.
| Map | Quest | Goal | XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitemare Island | Eliminate players in Nitemare Island | 30 | 10,000 |
| Nitemare Island | Place Top 5 | 10 | 10,000 |
| Nitemare Island | Eliminate players | 50 | 10,000 |
| Nitemare Island | Get Victory Royales | 3 | 10,000 |
| Stranger Things | Eliminate players in Stranger Things | 30 | 10,000 |
| Stranger Things | Place Top 5 | 10 | 10,000 |
| Stranger Things | Eliminate players | 50 | 10,000 |
| Stranger Things | Get Victory Royales | 3 | 10,000 |
| Surf City | Eliminate players in Surf City | 30 | 10,000 |
| Surf City | Place Top 5 | 10 | 10,000 |
| Surf City | Eliminate players | 50 | 10,000 |
| Surf City | Get Victory Royales | 3 | 10,000 |
All free Kado Thorne rewards and how to unlock them
| Quests completed | Reward | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kado’s Ambush | Emote |
| 4 | Fang Nitemare | Emote |
| 6 | Nitemare Elite | Emote |
| 8 | Batty Heart | Emote |
| 10 | Dungeon Dweller | Wrap |
| 12 | Driver of Darkness | Pickaxe |
Notably, you can grab the first five rewards without touching every map. Two full maps (eight quests) plus two quests on the third covers everything up to the Dungeon Dweller wrap. The Driver of Darkness pickaxe is the only reward that demands a full sweep.
Fastest way to complete all 12 Kado Thorne quests
- Clear Surf City first. Epic has confirmed that Squid Grounds replaces Surf City in the Reload rotation, with an exclusive Squid Grounds weekend running October 15 to October 19, 2026. Epic hasn’t said whether Surf City returns afterward, so treat its four quests as time-sensitive. Without them, you cap out at the Dungeon Dweller wrap.
- Let one map’s matches finish two quests at once. Your first 30 eliminations on a map count toward both elimination quests there, so 50 eliminations on a single map clears both. Similarly, a Victory Royale also counts as a Top 5 finish, so three wins also put you three placements closer to your 10 Top 5 finishes.
- Play The Hunt on Nitemare Island. When you land, Kado assigns you a Mark, and you can see your target’s general area. You get a new Mark at the start of every Storm Circle. Hunting your Mark speeds up eliminations, and Kado gives you a reward for each one.
- Lean on Siphon weapons. Kado’s Siphon Deadeye Assault Rifle, Siphon Gatekeeper Shotgun, and Siphon Monarch Pistol restore health as you deal damage. That keeps you fighting longer between reboots, which helps with the 50-elimination quests.
Fortnitemares Reload quests you can stack with Kado’s set
Separate from Map Mastery, Fortnitemares 2026 has its own Reload Nitemare One quests on Nitemare Island. They overlap well with Kado’s quests:
- Damage players at Retail Ruin or Estranged Estate: 500 damage, 15,000 XP
- Land at Named Locations on Nitemare Island: 10 landings, 15,000 XP
- Search containers at Terror Turrets or Haunted Hamlet: 25 containers, Eternal Elite loading screen
Terror Turrets is where Kado Thorne hangs out, and you can interact with him there to learn why he’s on the island. Landing there knocks out a landing, container progress, and a Kado visit in one drop. These Fortnitemares quests also count toward the event’s 26-quest pass, which ends with the free Jack-A-Nape skin. Fortnitemares rewards are redeemable until October 31, 2026. If you’re chasing every Halloween freebie, the free Jimothy Sidekick and the Crystallized Punisher Pickaxe are also up for grabs this month.
Kado Thorne rewards you can’t get from quests
The Elite Kado Thorne outfit itself is not a quest reward. Epic ties the Kado-themed cosmetics outside Map Mastery to Ranked and wins:
- Elite Kado Thorne outfit: Reach specific Ranked tiers, or place well in Ranked Cups to earn it early
- Axe of Unreal: Reach Unreal rank this Ranked season
- Kado Thorne Victory Umbrella: Win a Victory Royale in Ranked or Unranked Reload
Moreover, Kado’s Curse brings a full Ranked reset, so everyone starts the climb fresh. Your Victory Royales here count toward the Kado quests as well, since Ranked and Unranked share the same map rotation.
Signing Off
The Kado Thorne set is one of the more generous Reload Map Mastery drops, with six free cosmetics and 120,000 XP for 12 straightforward quests. The real catch is the clock on Surf City. Clear it before the Squid Grounds weekend, finish Nitemare Island while The Hunt boosts your eliminations, and the Driver of Darkness pickaxe should land well before Fortnitemares wraps up. For everything else free this month, see our free Fortnite skins.
They are the Map Mastery quests for Reload’s Nitemare Island: Kado’s Curse season. Each map in rotation has four quests covering eliminations, Top 5 finishes, and Victory Royales.
There are 12 in total, four each on Nitemare Island, Stranger Things, and Surf City. Each quest awards 10,000 XP.
They went live on October 8, 2026. Epic hasn’t announced an end date, but Surf City’s quests may become unavailable once Squid Grounds takes its place in rotation.
No. They only progress in Reload, and progress stays tied to the map you play on.
The outfit isn’t a quest reward. You earn it by reaching specific Ranked tiers in Reload or by placing well in Ranked Cup tournaments.
