Free cosmetics, ranked mode in Fortnite's Share the Love event

Epic is giving Fortnite players a gift for Valentine’s Day, and it isn’t a stuffed bear.

From February 8 to 27 the popular battle royale will host the “Share the Love” event, celebrating the most romantic holiday of the year. Festivities will be spread across 19 days, and will offer players the chance to earn a variety of rewards.

For the majority of players, the centerpiece of the event is the opportunity to add a few new skins. With the launch of version 7.40, a new set of Overtime Challenges will be released for all players with Battle Pass owners being rewarded with unlockable styles for the Trog, Powder, and Onesie outfits. Players without a Battle Pass will still have the chance to earn the Valentine Wrap and Vines Contrail.

Included with this is a special reward for users of Support-a-Creator. The free program allows players to send a cut of all V-Bucks purchased to enlisted content creators, and Epic is encouraging people to sign up by giving away the Cuddle Hearts Wrap for weapons and vehicles. Players need only select a creator in-game to receive the wrap, making this a completely free pickup for all players.

More interesting than the new cosmetics is the “Share the Love” Competitive Series. The limited time circuit will see new additions made to the normal tournament system including separate divisions determined by performance. Players that manage to reach the Champion Division and win a game will earn a spot in the Champion Division Finals, which take place February 23 and 24.

Though this is technically a seasonal event, the format and introduction of a definitive hierarchy has the feel of a test run for a ranked matchmaking system. For the many Fortnite fans that have looked for a more competitive battle royale experience, this is cause for cautious excitement.

Finally, players looking to grind out a few more levels before the end of the season will have a chance to do so with double XP weekends on February 15-17 and 22-24.

The full list of rewards and festivities can be found on the official Fortnite website.