Fortnite's Latest Reward Is So Good, It's Creating a Black Market

Published Nov 4, 2026, 8:54 AM EST Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games. Players are in a frenzy over the Pirate Shop token Image: Epic Games Sign in to your Polygon.com account Fortnite launched its treasure hunting season this Sunday, which includes a One Piece collaboration that was one of the most anticipated collaborations of all time. No one expected a new item to steal the show, overshadowing the One Piece skins players had been requesting for years. Fans have been obsessing over the Pirate Shop access token, a recently introduced item that makes the whole Item Shop free for a fortnight. Thankfully, they might be able to end their search earlier than expected, as Treasure Hours are scheduled to begin soon. This mini-season is all about treasure hunting. To go with the theme, there's a chance that players will find treasure in each chest. The most sought-after treasure is the Pirate Shop token, which gives players the opportunity to claim everything in the Item Shop for 14 days. It can be activated once before Dec. 15, 2026, and then again before Dec. 15, 2027. There are various types of treasure, ranging from gizmos to rare skins. Of course, most players are after the token, which is worth hundreds of dollars in V-Bucks. Fortnite's Pirate Shop token sends players into a frenzy The Pirate Shop token has taken over the lives of a majority of the Fortnite community. Gamers are spending hours of their free time in Battle Royale matches, looting as many chests as they can in hopes of finding this token. The exact chances of finding the token are unknown. Dataminer Blortzen's calculations indicate it's likely to drop about 1 in 2,000 chests. However, community estimates point towards one token in every 700,000 chests — a scary discrepancy for treasure hunters. While rare, its reward is so unbelievable that thousands of players have flocked to Fortnite to try their luck. It's been dubbed "Fortnite's response to GTA 6," a game that is sure to draw millions of players away from other titles. This frenzy is why some have already found a way to profit from it. AFK tools are being sold to farm chests while players stand idle. Accounts with the Pirate Shop access token are available for sale on eBay for thousands of dollars. If a teammate is lucky enough to receive a treasure, everyone gets the same reward, so players are even buying carrying services, allowing them to camp out during a match while someone else opens chests for them. Using software or services to automate the game and trading or selling accounts goes against Epic Games' terms of service and can lead to permanent bans. Fortnite Treasure Hours begin this Sunday Image: Epic Games Treasure Hours start on Oct. 8, and they will be live every Sunday until the end of the season. While it has not been specified whether these events will increase treasure drop rates, it's entirely possible. Epic Games' official blog post on this season says Treasure Hours will provide "boosted drops." Fortnite senior director, Chris Yu, has also confirmed Power Hours begin this Sunday. Treasure Hour times remain unknown, but effects are expected to be revealed once the limited-time event hours are announced. If treasure drop rates are in fact boosted, this will be the optimal time to grind it out with some squad mates and open as many chests as humanly possible.