The Fortnite loaded cannon quest is one of the four Treasure Hunters Kickstart challenges, and it’s worth 20,000 XP. You need to find a cannon on Crossbones Isle with a cannonball or player loaded into it. For the most reliable completion, load one of those two things and fire the cannon, then check your Week 0 quest counter.
There are two ways to use the new cannons: launch yourself across the island or fire an Explosive Cannon Ball. You do not need to eliminate an opponent, win a match or defeat A$AP Rocky. Here’s what to do and where it’s worth looking.
How to complete the Fortnite loaded cannon quest
- Enter Battle Royale or Zero Build in the current Treasure Hunters season.
- Find a working cannon on Crossbones Isle. Start by checking ship and dock areas while looting.
- Load it with a player or an Explosive Cannon Ball.
- Fire the cannon using the interaction shown on screen, then open the Quests tab to check your progress.
The extracted v43.00 quest data uses the wording “Fire a cannon loaded with a cannonball or a player.” Several early published lists use “Find a cannon loaded with a cannonball or player.” Using and firing a properly loaded cannon covers the mechanic described by both versions. You need only one for the Fortnite loaded cannon quest.
Where can you find cannons in Treasure Hunters?
Epic confirms that cannons are part of Crossbones Isle, the new 80-player Battle Royale map. They are intended for travelling around the island as well as firing ammunition, so they’re part of this season’s pirate gameplay rather than just scenery.
Check the ship and waterfront sections around the island. Areas such as Plunder Port and the waterside buildings around Windmill Village give you a sensible starting route, but don’t mistake those broad landmarks for a guaranteed cannon spawn on every match. You need to find an object with a working interaction prompt.
If you’re at The $.$. Rocky, remember that the battleship’s Shock Rocket and A$AP Rocky boss fight are separate activities. You do not have to defeat the boss to complete the Fortnite loaded cannon quest. Our Treasure Hunters map shows the current island’s major locations.
How to fire an Explosive Cannon Ball
Epic’s v43.00 item notes describe the Explosive Cannon Ball as an explosive you can throw at opponents or load into a cannon. For the Fortnite loaded cannon quest, choose the cannon option: carry a ball to a working cannon, use the loading interaction and fire it.
Throwing the ball from your inventory is a different action. Even if it explodes near an enemy, it isn’t the cannon interaction. There’s also no elimination requirement attached to the Kickstart objective, so the shot doesn’t need to hit a target.
Look for the on-screen prompt rather than a particular keyboard or controller button. The interaction depends on whether you’re entering the barrel, loading ammunition or firing.
Can you fire a player out of a cannon instead?
Yes. Epic specifically advertises climbing into cannons to launch across Crossbones Isle. A player therefore works as the alternative payload in the Fortnite loaded cannon quest, without finding an Explosive Cannon Ball first.
Interact with a working cannon to load a player, then follow the aim and fire controls. In a group you can coordinate the launch with teammates; when playing alone, use the available cannon launch controls yourself. The season announcement confirms cannon travel, so this is not a trick that requires a special weapon.
Once you’re launched, check your weekly progress. If the quest counter has advanced, you can forget about cannons and move on to the remaining Kickstart tasks.
Why isn’t the Fortnite loaded cannon quest counting?
First check whether the cannon actually launched something. Standing near it, aiming an empty barrel or merely picking up the Explosive Cannon Ball doesn’t complete the full loading-and-firing sequence.
Next, make sure you’re doing the task in the current Treasure Hunters Battle Royale or Zero Build rather than following a guide for old cannons from another season. If you have ammunition, load it into the cannon instead of throwing it separately.
Finally, look at the exact progress shown in your Quests tab. This is a single-target task, so there’s no need to fire repeatedly once the completion registers.
How much XP does the Fortnite loaded cannon quest give?
Completing the cannon challenge awards 20,000 XP and one Weekly Quest completion. The other three Week 0 quests involve consuming a Devil Fruit, using a Rift service or hiring a Specialist in two different matches and opening three Sprite Chests using Wanted Posters. The full set pays 80,000 XP.
The Fortnite loaded cannon quest also adds to the Weekly Quest completion count used by Captain X’s reward track. Check our Captain X guide for those milestone rewards. The cannon itself is free to use in a match, and completing the task doesn’t involve buying anything from the Item Shop.
Official source: Epic Games Treasure Hunters v43.00 update notes.
