Fortnite OG 'Throwback' Default Pickaxe Returns: How To Claim The Free Item

The original default Fortnite pickaxe is back due to popular demand. Amid the many details it has provided on what players can expect from the game on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, Epic dropped a note about its 'throwback' item, giving players the chance to pick up the classic pickaxe that used to be provided to all players by default.

Though Fortnite still offers a default pickaxe for players who haven't received any others, the company changed its appearance with the arrival of Chapter 2. Most players didn't notice this change and the ones who did mostly didn't care — at this point in time, most players have quite a few pickaxes in their inventory to choose from, ones far more entertaining than the default.

There were some, however, who lamented the loss of the 'OG pickaxe,' as it is most commonly called, and asked Epic to make it available again. Rather than launching it as an item you'd have to buy, the company is giving players the opportunity to get it for free.

The Throwback Axe arrived for players on all platforms on November 4. If you want the pickaxe, you'll need to claim it by January 15, 2021, using either the PlayStation Store if you're on PlayStation or in-game for everyone else.

This is good news for players who wanted the classic item back, and it comes amid another surprise: Fortnite players who logged in yesterday and today report receiving all of the Fortnitemares rewards even if they didn't finish the challenges.