How to unlock the Thorns of Passion pickaxe for free in Fortnite Chapter 3

Fortnite players have no shortage of free rewards from Epic Games. Every time there is a major server outage, a holiday, an event, or so many more things, players are rewarded with free cosmetics.

They're not always automatically given to players, though. Sometimes they have to complete challenges or do something specific in order to unlock it. That's the case with the brand new Thorns of Passion pickaxe. Here's how players can unlock it in Fortnite.

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Players can unlock the brand new Fortnite Thorns of Passion pickaxe by playing a minimum of 22 solo matches

Fortnite has kicked off the Stoneheart Trials event today for Valentine's Day. There are three free rewards being given out to participants, with the Thorns of Passion being both the most difficult to unlock and the most desired reward.

The method to unlock it, and the other rewards, is fairly simple. Players need to sign up for it on this site and then play Fortnite. Placing in the top 10 twice in Solo matches will award players one badge.

Collecting 11 badges will unlock the third and final reward: the Thorns of Passion pickaxe. One badge unlocks the Doomed Affair spray. In the middle, six badges will unlock the Hearty Wrap.

These rewards are available now (Image via Epic Games)

Players can continue to check the website to track their progress, though it may not get immediately updated. It is also imperative to sign up first, as this event will not retroactively count placements.

Given that the only requirement is to get a top 10 finish 22 times, players can play it safe and simply try to stay alive rather than eliminate everyone. That is one way to place at a higher rank and obtain rewards, but it's a difficult and dangerous way.

According to ShiinaBR, there is a glitch that players can exploit to complete their badges, but that may not always be the case.

It's much easier to place highly by landing somewhere away from the action and only moving when necessary. It's nearly impossible to totally avoid players the entire time, but this can drastically reduce the amount of interactions.

Fortnite players will have to play a minimum of 22 matches, so it's best to go ahead and get started by signing up now.