Hey, fellow Fortnite survivor. I still get a little nostalgic when I think about Midas. In 2026, the island has changed a dozen times, but that golden troublemaker left a mark on me. Midas Presents: The Floor Is Lava originally ran during Chapter 5 Season 2 and disappeared on April 2, 2024, at 9am ET. So if you are reading this in 2026, treat it as a retro guide for a possible rerun, a Creative remake, or a trip down memory lane. The mode worked like the classic Floor Is Lava, except Midas replaced the lava with rising molten gold. Touching it drained health for every player in your squad. That was the only way to play. No calm walks on the beach. No hiding in a basement. Just gold, guns, and panic.
To celebrate Midas and his love of mayhem, Epic added a pile of quests. You could earn three free rewards: complete three quests for the Lightning King spray, complete six quests for the Zeus Medallion spray, and complete 12 quests for The Gilded Vengeance Pickaxe. There were enough quests to unlock the pickaxe, with extras in case you struggled. The pickaxe represented the shark Midas apparently defeated to come back. That is a nice bit of lore for a tool that looks like it could gut a fish the size of a battle bus.
All Midas Presents: The Floor Is Lava Quests’ Guide
Epic updated the event with two extra rounds of quests on March 26, 2024. I used that extra breathing room to chip away at the harder objectives. Here is the full list as I remember it, along with the strategies that actually worked for me.
| Objective | What it means | My strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Build 25 structures over lava | Build yourself up and over the molten gold | Start a build on solid land and extend it over the rising gold |
| Use a Harpoon Gun to pull one player into the lava | Show them where they belong | Stand near a gap over lava, pull someone across, or shoot someone as you jump and drag them down with you |
| Eliminate 10 players before touching lava | Show them who rules the kingdom of gold | This is cumulative across matches, so get ten eliminations before the lava gets you |
| Use at least 10 Crash Pad Jrs. or Balloons | As the lava rises, you must rise faster | Use ten of these at any point to get on top of other players’ builds or structures |
| Survive at least 10 Storm Circles | Master the gold, lest it master you | A fairly passive objective you can finish in a few matches by just surviving |
| Destroy 30 player-built structures | Destroy their hope and their structures | Aim for wooden structures and weak points. Knock down towers by hitting their base |
| Hit players with an SMG, an Assault Rifle, and a Shotgun in a single match | Express your versatility | Search as much as you can before the lava rises, then use one of each on opponents |
| Collect three Olympian Powers in different matches | Experiment with pantheonic power | This means Wings of Icarus, Chains of Hades, and Thunderbolt of Zeus. Collect three in the mode |
| Restore 250 health or shields | Protect yourself from their paltry attacks | Restore health and shields while playing The Floor Is Lava |
| Gain 1,500 meters in elevation | It is time to rise to your potential | Build ramp structures to climb higher as the lava rises |
| Hit five airborne players | Let no one rise above you | Shoot players using Balloons or Wings of Icarus out of the sky |
| Land in water and reach 25 players remaining | Victory lies in the journey from the sea to the summit | Land in the river, ocean, or lakes, then survive until 25 players remain |
| Deal 5,000 damage with the Thunderbolt of Zeus weapon | Smite those who would challenge your ascension | Search the golden Greek chests and then deal damage to opponents |
| Travel 1,000 meters in the air after landing from the Battle Bus | The safest place from the rising tide of gold | Use Balloons, Crash Pad Jr., or Wings of Icarus to move around in the air |
| Outlast 100 players in a match | You do not need to outrun the lava, merely all of your opponents | Survive long enough in matches to outlast 100 players before the event ends |
Some of these quests felt brutal while I was also trying not to melt. The extra quests gave me options, and that mattered. If one objective was driving me crazy, I switched to another and came back later.
How To Win Midas Presents: The Floor Is Lava
The main goal in The Floor Is Lava is simple to say and hard to do: get to a higher position. The molten gold begins to climb around the time the second Storm Circle closes. Early on, most of the island feels safe. Then you see that gold color ooze in on your map, and your stomach drops. I learned to treat high ground like a religion.
The loot pool included items specifically for this mode. Crash Pad Jrs. and Balloons were my bread and butter. The Wings of Icarus item was also in the mode, and it was invaluable when I needed to avoid the lava. If you can grab Wings, do it. They turn a deadly fall into a graceful escape, and they make the airborne quests much easier.
All the guns in the mode were Legendary quality and modded. That sounds amazing, and it is, but it also means you need to know what you are picking up. Once the lava starts rising, you will not have time to go shopping for better loot. Every weapon choice matters. Eliminations happen fast because everyone is terrified and everyone is armed. Falling into the lava in the later parts of the game surely means death. The Reboot Vans also end up under the lava pretty quickly, so bringing allies back from the dead is not an option. If your squadmate goes down in the gold, they are gone.
Because the special items have limited charges, my best opportunity was always to build into the sky. You can build on the lava, which is a positive. But falling into it late in the game can mean sure death. I cannot count how many times I watched a player build a beautiful tower, miss one jump, and turn into a golden memory.
If you are playing in 2026, this specific LTM is not part of the standard rotation unless Epic decides to rerun it. I still hope they do. Midas is too fun to leave in the vault forever. If he returns, here is my final advice: land somewhere with water, loot fast, grab mobility, and start building upward before the second Storm Circle closes. Keep an eye on your health, because the gold does not care about your plans. Outlast the lobby, not just the lava. And if you see a Harpoon Gun, remember that pulling one player into the molten gold is both a quest and a public service.
Would I grind The Gilded Vengeance Pickaxe again in 2026? Absolutely. Some rewards are worth the golden burns. Just do not ask me to stand still while the floor turns into Midas’ favorite color. That is a mistake I only made once.