Fortnite’s Cuddles and Chaos Collection arrives July 23, 2026, and it hands out a free companion for anyone who plays through its quests. The headline reward is the P.A.N.D.A. Team Jr. Sidekick, a small panda dressed in blue overalls that trails your character during matches. No V-Bucks and no Battle Pass are involved.
Quick answer: Complete four Cuddles and Chaos quests once the update goes live on July 23, 2026, and the P.A.N.D.A. Team Jr. Sidekick is added to your locker automatically.
What Cuddles and Chaos adds to Fortnite
Cuddles and Chaos is described as a new collection of creature-based games in Discover where Sidekicks take center stage. Fortnite framed it simply as “Small creatures. Big bonds. Epic battles.” The reveal trailer, featuring conservationist and Twitch streamer Maya Higa, leans into a Pokémon-style setup, with players challenging each other to pet-based battles alongside Sidekicks like Peels and Lil’ Lootie.
Until now, Sidekicks have mostly been collectible companions that react to what happens in a match, cheering when you get a kill or looking down when you are knocked. Cuddles and Chaos gives them a larger role in how you play. Maya Higa is also set to lead the adventures live on Twitch once the update is available.
Note: Epic has not confirmed how long the event runs, so treat it as time-limited and complete the quests while they are live.
How to unlock the P.A.N.D.A. Team Jr. Sidekick
You know it worked when the Sidekick appears in your locker’s companion category. If it hasn’t unlocked, the most common reason is that you have completed fewer than four qualifying quests, since the panda sits specifically at the four-quest milestone.
Every Cuddles and Chaos reward
The Sidekick is part of a wider reward track. Keep completing quests past the fourth to claim the full set of cosmetics.
| Quests completed | Reward |
|---|---|
| 2 | Moth Banner Icon |
| 4 | P.A.N.D.A. Team Jr. Sidekick |
| 6 | Mothman’s Lure Loading Screen |
| 8 | Bamboo Blast Wrap |
Finishing all eight quests clears the entire set, including the banner icon, the loading screen, and the weapon wrap. The exact requirements for each quest have not been officially detailed by Epic, so the specific objectives may shift once they appear in-game.
Cost, Battle Pass, and availability
The P.A.N.D.A. Team Jr. Sidekick is completely free. It does not require the Battle Pass, and it is not sold in the Item Shop, which makes it one of the simpler cosmetics to earn during Chapter 7 Season 3. Whether the Sidekick returns after the event ends has not been announced, so the safe approach is to treat it as exclusive to this event window and finish the four quests before it closes.
