Which Fortnite Modes Can Drop the Pirate Token?

Updated Nov 4, 2026 · Every row links to its source below

Short answer

Every Pirate Token (Pirate Shop Access) find we can trace came from chests in Battle Royale, in both regular (Build) and Zero Build matches. Ranked is disputed: one guide says no, another says unconfirmed. Respawn Rumble has reports of smaller Treasure Hunt prizes but no token yet, Reload is unconfirmed, and players who farmed bot lobbies report finding nothing at all. If you want every chest to count, play unranked Battle Royale or Zero Build, ideally in a squad.

Pirate Token by mode

Mode	Can it drop?	What we found
Battle Royale (Build): Solos to Squads	Yes	The first reported find came in a normal Solos match (Timesaver). Squads have claimed it together in regular matches (Beebom).
Zero Build	Yes	Beebom (Nov 3) reports squads finding it in Zero Build; Timesaver's Nov 1 guide still lists Zero Build as unconfirmed. A popular Reddit guide calls four-player Zero Build squads the best place to farm, because players see more chests and more movement items there.
Ranked	Disputed	Beebom says Ranked lobbies can't give it. Timesaver says nobody has confirmed Ranked either way. Until that's settled, Ranked chests may be wasted.
Reload	Unknown	Timesaver lists it as unconfirmed. We haven't found a find or a denial.
Respawn Rumble	Unconfirmed	LootTrackerFN reported on Nov 2 that players who only searched chests in Respawn Rumble got other Treasure Hunt prizes, such as Sprite Gizmos and a free Loading Screen. So the same prize roll may run there, but nobody has reported the token itself, and LootTrackerFN wasn't sure the trick still works. The play area is small and the storm closes in, so you open fewer chests. A Reddit thread asking about it has no confirmed find either.
Bot lobbies (all-bot matches)	Probably not	Players who queued all-bot matches report hundreds of chests with nothing, not even the smaller Treasure Hunt prizes. Normal matches already include some bots; this is about lobbies with no other real players.
Creative and other islands	No reports	Guides tie the token to the Treasure Hunt chests on the Battle Royale island (Beebom). Nobody reports it from Creative maps or other experiences.

Yes = reported by at least one guide we opened. Epic hasn't published a mode list, so treat every row as player-reported.

Which chests can drop the Pirate Token

The Pirate Token comes out of the same Treasure Hunt roll as the other event prizes. Dataminer HYPEX's Nov 3 rundown lists the containers that can give treasure:

Regular and rare chests
Sprite chests
Buried chests: Beebom's route guide also sends you to dig these up
Wanted Poster chests and Relic chests

Ammo boxes aren't on any list we found, so skip them when you're short on time. The same rundown says breaking a chest counts as opening it, though some replies claim that stopped working; nobody has confirmed either way, so open chests normally when you can.

Vaults: GameRant and Beebom describe throwing an Explosive Cannonball into a locked vault to break the chests inside without a Vault Key. Neither guide says this raises the odds: it saves you a key, not luck. More rumors like this are checked on our myths page.

Week to week: the token stays in the prize pool for the whole event, while the cosmetics that come with it change each week. Week 1 is A$AP Rocky and Week 2 is Lil Uzi Vert, according to dataminers cited by VICE. Week 2 starts Nov 5, 2026 (Beebom).

If you're grinding for the token

Play unranked Battle Royale or Zero Build. Those are the only modes with reported finds.
Play in a group. If anyone in your duo, trio or squad finds it, everyone gets it, fill teammates included (GamesRadar, Times of India). See how much that helps in the odds calculator.
Split up so your squad covers more chests, and don't skip Sprite or buried chests.
Skip bot lobbies. So far they look like a dead end.

Still unlucky after hundreds of chests? That's normal at these odds. Try the luck test.

Questions players ask

Can you get the Pirate Token in Zero Build?

Yes. Beebom reports squads claiming it in both Zero Build and regular Battle Royale, and experienced players recommend Zero Build squads for opening the most chests.

Can you get the Pirate Token in Ranked?

Sources disagree. Beebom says Ranked lobbies can't give it, while Timesaver says nobody has confirmed Ranked either way. Play unranked to be safe.

Can you get the Pirate Token in Respawn Rumble?

Not confirmed. LootTrackerFN reported players getting smaller Treasure Hunt prizes there on Nov 2, but nobody has reported the token itself.

Does the Pirate Token drop in bot lobbies?

Probably not. Players who farmed all-bot matches report hundreds of chests with nothing, not even the smaller prizes.

Does breaking a chest count as opening it?

Dataminer HYPEX says yes, a chest destroyed by any means still rolls for treasure, though some players claim that has stopped working. Open chests normally when you can.

Sources

Timesaver – Pirate Shop Token: odds and deadline (first find in Solos; Zero Build, Ranked, Reload unconfirmed)
Beebom – Fortnite Pirate Shop guide (not available in Ranked lobbies; drops on the Battle Royale island)
Beebom – Best methods for the Pirate Shop Access token (squads found it in Zero Build and Battle Royale; buried chests; cannonball vault trick)
Beebom – Treasure Hunt chest locations and rewards (Week 2 starts Nov 5)
GameRant – Pirate Shop Token vault method (cannonballs open vault chests without a key)
VICE – Treasure chest rewards (Week 1 and Week 2 reward pools)
GamesRadar – The Pirate Shop Token explained (squad sharing)
Times of India – Best location to farm Pirate Shop Tokens (fill teammates share it)
HYPEX on X (Nov 3) (which chests count; breaking chests counts; token stays all season)
r/FortniteBR – Tips for Pirate Shop Token hunting (Zero Build squads, spread out)
r/FortniteBR – Pirate Token in bot matches? (no treasure in all-bot lobbies)
LootTrackerFN on X (Nov 2) (smaller Treasure Hunt prizes reported in Respawn Rumble)
r/FortniteBR – Pirate Token through Respawn Rumble? (no confirmed find)

Last checked Nov 4, 2026. Week 2 starts Nov 5; we'll recheck this table then.

← Back to the Pirate Token guide: odds calculator, chest map and deadline