Fortnite Winterfest Cozy Lodge First Challenge Guide

Last updated: October 12, 2026

Fortnite Winterfest 2021 kicked off on December 16, with the Cozy Lodge as the holiday hub. According to PC Gamer, the first challenge is to warm up at a Yule Log inside the lodge, which also grants a free batch of XP.

Here is how to get to the lodge, where the Yule Log is, how to claim the reward, and why this tiny starter task is worth doing on day one.

The short version

• Event: Fortnite Winterfest 2021
• Start date: December 16
• First challenge: warm up at a Yule Log in the Cozy Lodge
• Reward: free XP from the Yule Log
• Hub: the Cozy Lodge, accessed from the main menu
• Daily hook: the Yule Calendar gives a free XP batch each day
• Cosmetics: new Winterfest skins mentioned in coverage
• Weapons: the event adds non-curved weapons to the loot pool

How to do the first challenge

• From the main menu, look for a new snowflake icon on the right side of the menu buttons. Click it and choose "Visit Lodge" on the popup.
• Inside the lodge, find the Winter icon. The reference describes it as a character with a Santa look sitting in a big chair. Click on him to shift your view toward the fireplace.
• Click the Yule Log to zoom in. A small message will confirm you have completed the challenge and received the XP bonus.
• Return to the Yule Calendar every day to grab another free XP batch.

Why this matters

Winterfest is structured around small, daily rewards rather than one big prize. The Yule Log XP is the smallest of those, but it is the gateway into the rest of the event. Once you are inside the Cozy Lodge, you unlock daily gifts and challenges that actually move your Battle Pass progress, which is where most players feel the grind.

The Cozy Lodge also functions as the Winterfest hub. Skins, gifts, and limited-time challenges are all gated through it, so learning the navigation on day one saves time across the whole event. If you are the kind of player who logs in, queues a match, and closes the game, the lodge is the one place that rewards the "just five minutes" routine.

The reference also notes that Winterfest adds new skins and non-curved weapons to the rotation. The skins are the headline draw for collectors; the non-curved weapons are the under-the-radar change for anyone who hated the Bows. Whether either shifts the meta is the real question, and it will not be answered until the live servers settle.

Say you just opened Fortnite for Winterfest

You have never been to the Cozy Lodge before. Spend your first five minutes doing the Yule Log challenge, claim the XP, and look around. There is a daily gift waiting, and the Winterfest challenges are gated through the lodge. The earlier you do this, the more daily XP you stack over the run of the event. The reference is explicit: you can return to the Yule Calendar every day and get the free XP batch, so skipping day one is leaving free progress on the table.

If you are aiming for a specific skin, like the Spider-Man set mentioned in the reference, the lodge is where the grind lives. Most Winterfest challenges are XP-gated, and the Yule Log is the entry point that connects to those challenges.

What to watch next

• Daily XP resets: log in each day and click the Yule Log before queuing a match.
• Challenge rotation: the reference says more challenge guides will follow as the event continues, so expect new tasks to drop.
• Item shop drops: new skins and surprises are expected in the shop during Winterfest.
• End date: the reference does not state when Winterfest ends, so watch Fortnite's official channels for the final day.
• Spider-Man skin: if you are chasing it, the reference points to separate guides for Web Shooters and how to use them, so keep an eye out for those breakdowns.

Bottom line

The first Winterfest challenge is small, but it is the gateway into the rest of the event. The Cozy Lodge is the hub; the Yule Log is the entrance. Do it once, claim the XP, and return daily. If you are chasing the Spider-Man set or any other Winterfest skin, the lodge is where the grind lives, and skipping day one is the only real mistake you can make here.

Key takeaways

• The Cozy Lodge is accessed via a snowflake icon on the main menu.
• The first challenge is to warm up at the Yule Log inside the lodge.
• The Yule Log XP is a daily reward, not a one-time thing.
• The Cozy Lodge is the hub for all Winterfest gifts and challenges.
• The reference does not state an end date for Winterfest 2021.