SHADOW Briefings are timed mini-challenges scattered across the Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 1 map. They've been a recurring Battle Royale mechanic since Chapter 5 Season 2, but their appearance and available challenge types shift from season to season. In Chapter 7 Season 1, they've reverted to their original job board look — which means you may have walked right past several without realizing what they were.
Quick answer: Interact with a job board terminal on the map, accept either a Supply Drop or Plunder challenge, and finish the objective within five minutes to earn gold bars.
What SHADOW Briefings look like in Chapter 7 Season 1
If you're used to the briefcase-style terminals from earlier chapters, you'll need to recalibrate. SHADOW Briefings now look like job boards — tall, standing bulletin-board-style objects. They have a roughly 70 percent spawn rate at any given location, so not every board will appear in every match. When you're close enough, a small white notebook icon will show up on your map and minimap, making it easier to zero in on the terminal's exact position.
Only two briefing types are active this season: Supply Drop and Plunder. Previous variants like Bounty, Vehicle, Armory, Waxen Wings, and Footrace are currently vaulted.
Best landing spots for SHADOW Briefings
Spawn locations are spread across the entire map, but the southern half has a noticeably higher concentration. If you're specifically trying to knock out a briefing quest, prioritize these areas:
- Vineyards south of Lethal Labs
- Cosmic Durr — the restaurant northwest of Classified Canyon
- Ripped Tides
- Bumpy Bay
Every gas station on the map also has a possible spawn point, so you can grab a challenge mid-game while refueling a vehicle. This is a low-pressure way to complete the quest if you'd rather not land directly on a briefing location.
Completing a Supply Drop SHADOW Briefing
Step 1: Walk up to a job board that displays the Supply Drop label and interact with it. A five-minute countdown begins immediately.
Step 2: After accepting, a Supply Drop icon appears on your map showing where the crate will land. The drop takes a bit of time to touch down, so grabbing a car and driving to the marked location is the fastest approach.
Step 3: Once the crate lands, interact with it to collect its contents. The briefing completes as soon as you search the Supply Drop, and you receive gold bars as a reward.
The main risk here is distance. If the drop lands far from your current position and you don't have a vehicle, you can easily run out of time. Prioritize mobility before accepting.
Completing a Plunder SHADOW Briefing
Step 1: Interact with a job board showing the Plunder label. The five-minute timer starts right away.
Step 2: Two circular search areas appear on your map. Head to one of them and look for a sparkling pile of dirt on the ground.
Step 3: Hit the dirt pile with your pickaxe to unearth a buried Rare chest. Open the chest, then travel to the second marked area and repeat the process with the second dirt pile.
Both chests must be dug up and searched to complete the briefing. If the timer expires before you finish, any remaining buried chests are destroyed. The circular search zones aren't pinpoint markers — you'll need to scan the area visually for the sparkle effect once you arrive.
Important details about SHADOW Briefing mechanics
Each SHADOW Briefing terminal offers one specific challenge type, and you can only accept it once per match. If you fail or the timer runs out, you'll hear a ticking clock sound followed by a "FAILED" warning above the quest tracker. You won't get a second attempt at that same terminal.
You can accept one briefing at a time, but nothing stops you from completing multiple briefings in a single match by visiting different terminals after finishing or failing the previous one.
A useful detail for quest completion: if your weekly quest only requires you to find and accept SHADOW Briefings, you don't actually need to finish the timed challenge. Simply interacting with the terminal and accepting the briefing counts toward that quest objective.
SHADOW Briefings are a reliable way to earn gold bars without engaging in combat, especially the Supply Drop and Plunder variants. Land in the southern half of the map, keep an eye out for the notebook icon on your minimap, and make sure you have a vehicle nearby before accepting — the five-minute window is generous but not forgiving if you're on foot across open terrain.
