Fortnite got in on the joke that famous five-octave vocalist Mariah Carey hibernates all year before being thawed out before Christmas to sing her holiday hits by having the singer do just that in the game. A giant block of ice was recently added to Fortnite’s map, and earlier today it melted to reveal a dancing Carey in a Santa outfit as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” played.
You can watch the full dethawing in the video below. It’s kind of disappointing that Fortnite Mariah Carey doesn’t actually lip-sync the song, and instead just repeats dance emotes, but I hadn’t really planned on watching any Grammy-winning artists emerge from a block of ice and sing to Fortnite players this year, so who am I to ask for more?
The great thawing signifies more than the impending Christmas holiday—it much more importantly means that Fortnite’s holiday event, Winterfest 2024, has begun.
“Head to Fortnite’s Winterfest Cabin during Winterfest to receive presents, then drop into the snow-covered Battle Royale Island and fight with frosty firepower like the Blizzard Grenade to celebrate the season,” says Epic. “Plus, sled into the Shop to pick up festive Outfits like Mariah Carey, Santa Shaq, and Guffmas Tree!”
You can find the full Winterfest 2024 details on the official Fortnite site. It runs until January 7 at 6 am PT/9 am ET.
