Ever since its rise in popularity, Fortnite has operated its cosmetic systems in two different ways. You could either obtain unique characters and skins through the game’s seasonal battle passes, or you could purchase bundles directly for a monetary cost. In a surprising move, Epic Games is changing how its Battle Passes work – removing its exclusivity by bringing these earnable cosmetics to the in-game store.
Making the announcement on their blog, the Fortnite team shared details on this major change to its cosmetics system, saying:
“Items in future Fortnite Battle Passes might be offered for purchase in the Fortnite Shop after 18 or more months from the Battle Pass’ expiration. A Battle Pass item may include a different number of its alt Styles each time it comes to the Shop.”
They continued, “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.”
For the uninitiated, Battle Passes would previously include characters and skins which could never be obtained following the conclusion of the Season. Just some of the Battle Pass exclusive crossovers have included Deadpool; Dr Doom; Aquaman; Wolverine; The Mandalorian; Lara Croft; Rick Sanchez; Spider-Man; Geralt and DOOM GUY – to name a few.
While Battle Passes are certainly more player-friendly than the likes of lootboxes, the fact that Fortnite’s passes expire continues to be an issue. While this unfortunately remains, those who missed out on certain cosmetics will soon be able to at the very least pay for a guaranteed skin outright. It’ll be interesting to see which cosmetics are brought back first.
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KitGuru says: What do you think of this change? Is it a good thing? Should Battle Passes have no expiration date? Let us know down below.