The Week 3 Christmas update in 99 Nights in the Forest finally introduces a new seasonal boss that many players were waiting for. Fake Santa, also called Evil Santa, takes over the North Pole biome and blocks progress until you deal with his defenses and objectives. While the fight itself isn’t as hard as it sounds, the steps to unlock it can be confusing if you go in blind. This guide breaks everything down so you can defeat Fake Santa faster and know exactly what rewards you’ll get. Also check out our 99 Nights in the Forest Codes for more rewards!
Who Is Fake Santa in 99 Nights in the Forest?
Fake Santa appears during the Christmas update after the elves finish building Santa’s Workshop. Instead of a normal boss rush, the game forces you to secure the Christmas biome first before you can even damage him. He protects the area using:
- Automated turrets
- Environmental barriers
- Quest-style requirements
Only after completing these steps can you properly fight him.
How to Unlock the Fake Santa Boss Fight
Before attacking Fake Santa, you must make the Christmas biome safe. This is mandatory and cannot be skipped.
1. Expand the Campfire
You need to expand the fire multiple times using:
- Logs
- Fuel drops from enemies
If the biome doesn’t unlock fully, it means your fire level is still too low.
2. Collect Christmas Light Balls
Christmas Light Balls are dropped by specific enemies in the Christmas area.
Requirements:
- Collect a total of 12 Christmas Light Balls
- Attach them to trees in the biome
- Some trees won’t activate until the fire is expanded further
This step takes the longest and is the main reason many players get stuck.
3. Prepare Basic Tools
During the Fake Santa area, you’ll be blocked unless you have:
- Ladder (to bypass elevated defenses)
- Shovel (to remove snow barriers)
Both can be purchased with coins, so make sure you loot containers or defeat cultists to earn enough currency.
Best Class to Use Against Fake Santa
Fake Santa isn’t very tanky, so strong ranged or high-defense classes work best. Recommended:
- Cyborg Class – High survivability and ranged laser damage
- Any class with good armor and sustained DPS
The turrets are more dangerous than Fake Santa himself, so survivability matters more than burst damage.
How to Defeat Fake Santa Easily
Once the biome is secured, the actual fight is straightforward.
Boss Mechanics
- Fake Santa summons turrets that auto-aim
- He moves around frequently but deals low direct damage
- Most danger comes from standing in turret fire too long
Strategy
- Destroy turrets first or walk behind them to avoid damage
- Use ladders and terrain to break line of sight
- Keep moving and don’t tunnel vision the boss
With decent gear, Fake Santa goes down quickly.
Fake Santa Rewards – Is It Worth It?
After defeating Fake Santa, you unlock presents and a unique weapon.
Main Reward: Peppermint Pelter
- Fires curved peppermint projectiles
- Decent damage for a non-class weapon
- Very slow reload time
- Better for fun than high-level combat
You also get:
- Revolver ammo
- Gift drops from the present machine
The rewards are more novelty-focused than meta-changing, but still worth collecting.
Is Fake Santa a Hard Boss?
Honestly, no. The pre-fight objectives are harder than the boss itself. Once you’re fully prepared, Fake Santa doesn’t pose much of a threat, especially with strong armor or ranged classes. This boss is more about: Exploration, Resource management, & Completing biome objectives!
The Fake Santa boss in 99 Nights in the Forest is a fun seasonal addition, but it’s not designed to be a hardcore challenge. If you know what to prepare—fire upgrades, Christmas Light Balls, and basic tools—you can clear the entire encounter smoothly and grab the Peppermint Pelter without frustration.
If you’re aiming to finish the Christmas update efficiently, focus on the biome setup first. Once that’s done, Fake Santa is just another enemy standing between you and free loot.