Epic Games will finally make a highly requested change to how Fortnite’s seasonal battle pass rewards work. Exclusive skins tied to specific battle passes that are only available for a limited time will soon be a thing of the past. But the overdue change comes with a catch that still incentivizes players to nab these items as soon as they’re available.
Starting with its next season, Fortnite will end battle pass exclusivity for the game’s best skins, pickaxes, emotes, and more. For the past seven years, the majority of awesome, cross-promotional Fortnite cosmetics advertised every few months were strictly reserved for those who purchased the corresponding season’s battle pass. For players who missed their chance to buy the right season pass for characters like Darth Vader, they’d simply have come to terms with the envy they have for fellow players.
This new rule will eliminate the fear of missing out on one of Fortnite’s best features, especially for more casual fans who may have started playing the game later than most.
“This change lets us continue investing in new and exciting Battle Pass rewards while enabling players down the road to also enjoy the content, including Outfits based on popular licensed characters,” a statement from Epic Games reads.
There’s a trade-off for those who’d rather buy a seasonal skin outright, however. Players will have to wait at least a year and a half after a battle pass expires before the associated cosmetics become available in the Fortnite shop.
Epic specifies that not all items are guaranteed to come to the Fortnite shop after the 18 month period is up. But players won’t be kept in the dark. “If an item in a future Battle Pass will never be available outside the Pass, we’ll let you know,” Epic explains.
Unfortunately, the new rule will also not apply retroactively to past crossovers. So if you didn’t get that Solid Snake skin back in January, don’t expect to get your hands on it next summer.
For a game that leans so heavily into the metaverse of characters it's built for itself, ditching this old and unpopular rule is for the better. While older skins won’t be made available, likely due to lapsed licensing agreements, making future cool additions will make Fortnite feel less demanding for those who might not have the time, or more importantly the V-Bucks, to add their favorite fictional character into their digital collection.
For Epic, this change is also a great way to ensure a second round of revenue from their most popular collaborations. A casual fan might not be on board with dumping hours into a game they only play a few times a year. But they might have a few bucks to spare if it means playing as Dr. Doom or Furiosa.
