Big changes are being made to item exclusivity for Fortnite battle passes going forward. Although players will have to wait more than a year, more battle pass items can be outright purchased.
At least 18 months after any future Fortnite battle pass has expired, there’s a chance some of its items will show up in the Fortnite shop. The Fortnite team said this will enable players “down the road” to have fun with that content.
The dev team stressed that not all items are guaranteed to come to the shop once this change is implemented. It’s likely outfits from events like Marvel collaborations will be prioritized because they are so popular with players.
The Fortnite team has been quite particular about how these changes are worded. Exclusivity changes are stated to affect items in future Fortnite battle passes, but there is no mention of previous of items from older events, such as the popular Fortnite x Dragon Ball Z collaborations. This probably comes down to the way past licensing deals were structured.
Much of these plans indicate a strong focus on the longevity of Fortnite as a product. Since Fortnite’s release, there have been 30 seasons and numerous collaborations with different brands. As the game has expanded to include LEGO Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, and Rocket Racing, so has its scope for feasible events and collaborations. The amount of time and money that has gone into creating these various products has incentivized plenty of players to purchase battle passes, but doesn’t do much to support the game after that battle pass ends. Making older skins available for individual purchase offers a way for the devs to prevent their efforts from going to waste when moving on to a new season.
