A December 27, 2024 report said leaker Billbil-kun had shared clues about the final Epic Games Store holiday giveaway, expected to run January 2–9, 2025. The clues did not identify the game, and no title should be treated as confirmed on their basis alone.
What the December 2024 report claimed
Notebookcheck’s Abid Ahsan Shanto reported that Billbil-kun had posted cryptic hints about the anticipated sixteenth giveaway in Epic’s holiday promotion. The report also said that another leaker, MeguminShiro, had stopped posting hints after a Christmas Day prediction proved inaccurate. These accounts of leaker activity and accuracy were the report’s characterizations, not official statements from Epic.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $15.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Fortnite eGift Card | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Fortnite Physical Gift Card | $30.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Fortnite Physical Gift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
The reported clues were:
- An image containing the number “16.”
- A broken Epic Games Store link accompanied by the text “OlderThanMG9-XXX0X6.”
- The string “GV3A^A§ #16.”
What the clues might mean
Notebookcheck interpreted “16” as a possible reference to the giveaway’s number. It read “OlderThanMG9” as a possible hint that the game was older than Ghostrunner 2, which the report identified as mystery game number nine and a 2023 release. The final string might point to a 2016 release, but that was also an uncertain interpretation.
Online guesses including Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Grand Theft Auto Trilogy did not fit the report’s 2016 interpretation. The clues were too cryptic to establish a candidate or rank possible games, so none of those guesses—and no other proposed title—was confirmed by the report.
#1 Best Overall
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
When the rumored giveaway was expected
The report, published December 27, 2024, said the sixteenth holiday giveaway was expected to be available from January 2 through January 9, 2025. That was a forecast at the time, not confirmation of which game Epic ultimately offered. The source set for this report does not establish the eventual January 2025 offer or whether the hints proved accurate.
Where to verify an Epic free game
For an active offer, check Epic’s official Free Games page. Epic describes its free-game offer as weekly; the storefront, rather than a leaker’s clues, determines what is actually available to redeem.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
Rank #4
- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
Rank #3
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
Rank #2
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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