How to Collect Shiny Llamas in Fortnite

The Fortnite Shiny Llama phenomenon is part of a limited-time event tied to the end-of-year celebrations in 2025. Specifically, these items are the central focus of the Squad Up! Quests, a festive challenge designed to encourage team play and high-octane combat. Whether you are playing on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, or Mobile, you’ve likely seen these miniature neon mascots bouncing across the battlefield.The "problem" many players are facing isn't a technical bug, but rather a lack of clarity. In-game, these Shiny Llamas don't actually do anything. You can’t consume them for health, you can’t throw them like grenades, and you can't trade them to NPCs for Mythic weapons. This has led to widespread confusion, with players filling their inventories only to realize they have no immediate combat utility. However, ignoring them is a mistake—collecting these items is the only way to unlock the exclusive Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe before the event concludes on January 5, 2026.

Triggers: Why and How Shiny Llamas Appear

Understanding why these items appear is the first step to mastering the "Squad Up!" event. They aren't random spawns like floor loot; they are triggered by specific high-value actions within a match.

The Technical Trigger Logic

In technical terms, the Shiny Llama is a "quest-item entity" tied to the player's interaction with the loot table during specific game states. Here is a detailed list of what causes them to spawn:

• Eliminating Opponents: When you or a teammate finishes an enemy player, there is a high probability of a Shiny Llama dropping alongside their loot.
• Opening Rare Chests: The blue "Rare" chests have a near-100% drop rate for these llamas during the event.
• Supply Drops: Crates falling from the sky are a goldmine for these items.
• Defeating Bosses: Named NPCs and bosses (like those guarding vaults) will drop multiple Shiny Llamas upon defeat.
• Vault Loot: Opening a high-security vault often scatters several llamas across the floor.

Note: These items only spawn in Squads playlists. If you are playing Solos, Duos, or Trios, the trigger logic is disabled, and you will not see a single Shiny Llama regardless of how many bosses you defeat.

Quick Solution (For the Fast Farmer)

If you just want the Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe and don't care about the lore, here is the fastest way to fix your lack of progress:

Enter the Lobby and set your game mode to Squads (Fill or No Fill).

Select Fortnite Reload or Blitz Royale (these modes have faster circles and more combat).

Land at a "Hot Spot" (names in gold on the map) and focus on eliminations and Rare chests.

Run over the Shiny Llamas to "collect" them—you don't need to hold them in your inventory for the quest to count; simply picking them up registers the progress.

Detailed Step-by-Step Guide to Farming Shiny Llamas

To maximize your efficiency and ensure you hit your collection goalsbefore January 5, follow this optimized route. This strategy worksacross all platforms, though PC and Console players may find thehigh-intensity combat of "Reload" easier to navigate than mobileplayers.

Step 1: Verify Your Playlist

Before you even jump from the Battle Bus, ensure you are in a Squads-enabled mode. This includes Standard Battle Royale (Squads), Fortnite OG (Squads), Reload, and Blitz Royale. If you see "Solo" in the bottom right of your screen, you are wasting your time!

Step 2: Choose Your Drop Location

You want to land where the "Rare" loot is. Locations with high chest density or Boss NPCs are your best bet.

• Pro Tip: Look for the gold-lettered locations on the map. these "Hot Spots"contain flying loot drones that, when shot down, often drop Rare weapons and, by extension, Shiny Llamas.

Step 3: The Boss Rush

Head to a location with an NPC Boss. These characters are bullet sponges,but they are guaranteed to drop a bundle of Shiny Llamas. If you areplaying with a full squad, have two players focus on the boss while theother two watch for "third-party" attackers.

Step 4: Prioritize Rare Chests and Supply Drops

During the mid-game, don't just run toward the circle. Keep an eye out for the blue glow of a Rare Chest. In the current 2025 Winterfest build, Supply Drops are appearing more frequently. Each drop usually contains 1-3Shiny Llamas.

Step 5: The "Reload" Method (Recommended)

If you find the standard Battle Royale too slow, switch to Fortnite Reload. Because players respawn as long as one teammate is alive, the densityof "Elimination Llamas" is significantly higher. You can easily rack up20+ llamas in a single match of Reload compared to 5 or 6 in a standardBR match.

Step 6: Confirm Collection

Unlike materials, you don't need to do anything with the llamas once you pick them up. However, check your Quest Tab between matches to ensure the numbers are going up. If the counterisn't moving, restart your game to sync with the Epic servers.

Alternative Solutions: The Blitz Royale Approach

If you are a highly skilled player, Blitz Royale is the "secret weapon" for farming.

• Why it works: The storm moves much faster, and the loot density is cranked to the maximum.
• The Strategy: Instead of looting chests, focus entirely on "hunting." Since everyonein Blitz Royale is forced into a small area quickly, the ground becomeslittered with Shiny Llamas from fallen players. You can often completethe entire questline in 3-4 matches of Blitz.

How to Prevent Missing the Rewards

The biggest "issue" with this event is the strict deadline. Once January 5, 2026 hits, the Shiny Llamas will vanish from the code, and the Starbrite Slasher Pickaxe will likely become a "Legacy" item that may never return to the shop.

• Play Regularly: Aim for at least three Squad matches a day.
• Squad Up: Playing with friends (rather than "Fill" teammates) ensures that yourteam is actually focusing on the objectives rather than wandering off.
• Monitor the News Feed: Epic Games occasionally boosts the drop rates of quest items during the final 48 hours of an event. Keep an eye out for a "Double Llama"weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do Shiny Llamas take up an inventory slot?

Yes, while you are holding them, they occupy a slot. However, for the Squad Up! Quests, you only need to pick them up once. After the "Quest Updated"notification appears, you can drop them to make room for heals orweapons without losing progress.

2. Why can't I find them in Solos?

The event is specifically branded as "Squad Up!" to promote social playduring the holiday season. Epic Games intentionally disabled the spawnsin Solos, Duos, and Trios to funnel the community into larger teamformats.

3. Can I "farm" llamas by dropping them for my teammates?

No. Once a Shiny Llama has been picked up by a player, it is "marked."Dropping it for a teammate will not count as a new collection for them.Every player must find "fresh" llamas from chests or eliminations.

4. What happens if I collect them after Jan 5?

You won't be able to. The assets will be removed from the game files in the v33.20 update (or whichever hotfix follows the New Year).

The Shiny Llama hunt is a fun, high-energy way to wrap up 2025 in Fortnite. While the items themselves might seem "useless" during a firefight, the reward of a free, high-quality pickaxe is something no locker should be without. Grab your friends, hop into a Squads match, and start huntingthose glowing icons!

Did this guide help you track down those elusive llamas? Share this with your squad so everyone can unlock the Starbrite Slasher together! If you’re looking for more tips on the latest Winterfestsecrets or the best landing spots in the current meta, check out ourother Fortnite guides below.

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