Gem Hours turns Fortnite Runners into an all-Mythic sprint on Saturday, August 8. For two hours at a time, seasonal loot upgrades to Mythic rarity, everyone drops in tougher to kill, and the newly added Gem Sprites appear far more often than usual. If you are missing any of the shiny, diamond-styled variants, these are the best windows of the week to close out the set.
Quick answer: Play during either Gem Hours block on August 8 (2–4 PM ET or 9–11 PM ET). Both sessions run all-Mythic loot, hand everyone a Self-Revive Device, and heavily boost Gem Sprite spawns, so loot Sprite Chests aggressively to catch the rare variants.
Fortnite Gem Hours times on August 8
Gem Hours runs twice on the same day, and each block lasts a full two hours. The second session slides into the early hours of Sunday in UTC, so check your local conversion before you commit to it.
| Session | PT | ET | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Aug 8) | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Aug 8) | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Aug 8) |
| Block 2 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Aug 8) | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Aug 8) | 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM (Aug 9) |
Gem Hours rules and modifiers
The ruleset is built around survivability and loot volume, so expect fights to drag on longer than a normal match. Plan your pushes knowing enemies can pick themselves back up.
| Modifier | Effect |
|---|---|
| Mythic loot | All seasonal weapons and items drop at Mythic rarity |
| Starting item | Every player begins with a Self-Revive Device |
| Mythic Goldfish | Found in Chests, and can be used to bonk opponents |
| Boosted spawns | All Sprite variants appear far more often, with an extra boost for Gem Sprites |
Because everyone carries a Self-Revive, an elimination is not confirmed until you finish the job. If you crack a shield and let the enemy break line of sight, they can revive and reset the fight.
Gem Sprites you can catch
The seven Gem Sprites highlighted for this event are Llama, Water, Aura, Duck, Grim, Demon, and Zero Point. Every Gem variant shares the same passive power, which cuts fall damage by 30 percent. That buff is minor in a fight, so the real draw is completing a collection of some of the hardest Sprites to find.
Gem Grim and Gem Zero Point are the standouts because their drop rates are punishing. Gem Zero Point sits at roughly 0.00001 percent, and Gem Grim follows at about 0.00099 percent, so you will likely crack open a lot of Sprite Chests before either shows up. The boosted rates during Gem Hours are the single best chance to see them, but do not expect a guaranteed catch.
Sprite Chest farming route
To hit the most Sprite Chests inside a single run, follow a loop that starts in the west and ends at an extraction point on the beach. Move quickly, since you want to bank your Sprites before the timer or another player ends your game.
Note: A successful extraction is how your catches actually count. If you go down without a Self-Revive left and fail to escape, any new Sprites from that run do not carry over.
With only two windows on August 8, the smart play is to treat each block as a focused looting run rather than a fight-for-fight grind. Prioritize Sprite Chests, keep your Self-Revive in reserve for a clean getaway, and lean on the boosted rates to chase down Gem Grim and Gem Zero Point while they are easier to find than they will be for the rest of the week.
