Fortniteplayers can look forward to a nostalgic new match type in the future. Epic Games has officially confirmed thatFortnite: OG will be returningnext month on December 6. While Fortnite: OG was a limited-time event last year, it will now become a permanent game mode. OG fans are rejoicing, as they will now be able to access the Chapter 1 map and loot pool at a moment’s notice.
It’s no surprise that Fortnite: OG is coming back, as the mode’s debut was a major success for Epic Games last year. Chapter 1 players were over the moon when presented with the opportunity to revisit the classicFortnitemap.Fortnitealso presented players with a battle pass and a shop that were both filled with Chapter 1-inspired cosmetics. These items proved to be popular, but Epic has the opportunity to not only boost its player count with the return of Fortnite: OG but capitalize on the desires of newerFortniteplayers.
Fortnite: OG is the Perfect Chance to Bring Back OG Battle Passes
While it was fun to see new takes on older skins with characters like Omegarok, Renegade Lynx, and Lil Split in theFortnite: OG pass, the demand is high for Epic to bring back the actual cosmetics from older battle passes. This is uncharted territory forFortnite’s battle pass system and has been a major point of contention in the community.
The Argument Against Rerunning Older Battle Passes
Players from older chapters like Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 are adamant that older battle passes and their cosmetics remain exclusive to people who bought them at the time of their release. Many see theseoriginalFortnitecosmetics as status symbols. Running across someone wearing the Black Knight skin inFortniteimmediately makes that player stand apart from the Gojos and Peter Griffins of the lobby.
Changing it so that any player can wear that skin as long as they cough up enough V-Bucks makes it impossible to tell the new players apart from those who’ve had the skin since 2017. Additionally, some players only bought these battle passes due to FOMO, so if Epic Games ignored its own rules just to appeal to newer fans, it would leave a sour taste in OG players' mouths.
The Argument For Rerunning Older Battle Passes
As more and more players hop on toFortnitefor the first time thanks to itszero build modeand other newer modes like LEGO Fortnite and Fortnite Festival, outcry for Epic to bring back original battle passes has reached an all-time high. SinceFortniteskins aren’t physical collectibles with a limited stock, new players are questioning the exclusivity of older cosmetics. If someone wants to play as an iconicFortnitecharacter like Drift or the Reaper — not to mention all the collab skins that have been locked behind battle passes over the years — and is willing to pay for them, it seems odd to withhold these cosmetics just because that fan didn’t start playing until a later chapter.
It’s money being left on the table, and even Epic has realized this. Starting with Chapter 5 Season 4, Epic made it so that thecontents of anyFortnitebattle passes going forward would only be exclusive for 18 months. After that period, any of those cosmetics would be eligible to return to theFortniteitem shop. Especially given Chapter 5 Season 4’s Marvel theme, this ensures that any fans who missed out on popular characters like Doctor Doom will still have the opportunity to buy that skin in the future. At the same time, anyone who did buy the battle pass will still get to show off their exclusive skins for over a year.
How Fortnite Could Bring Back Classic Cosmetics While Still Rewarding Original Players
For any OG players annoyed by the potential loss of bragging rights should original battle passes make a return,Fortnitecame up with one solution earlier this year. Back in August,Epic accidentally added the Paradigm skin to theFortniteitem shopfor 15 minutes. The skin hadn’t been in the game since 2019 and was intended to be a limited-time skin that never returned. Rather than remove the skin from the lockers of anyone who had purchased the skin in 2024, Epic decided to create a new variant of the skin that would be given to anyone who had purchased the skin during its 2019 release. This way, players would still be able to tell new owners apart from the OGs.Fortnitecould apply this same methodology to older battle pass skins to alleviate the concerns of many older fans.
The Benefit of Battle Passes Resurfacing for Fortnite: OG
SinceFortnitehas already decided to ignore years worth of battle pass precedent with its modern seasons, it might as well go all in and bring back some of its most desirable passes. If this ever were to happen, it would be huge for the game, and the return of Fortnite: OG is the perfect opportunity to test the waters. It would motivate newer players lacking in nostalgia to check out Fortnite: OG, and it would finally remove some unnecessary FOMO from the game. New and old players alike would both be able to enjoy cosmetics from classic Fortnite seasons.
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WHERE TO PLAY
Create, play, and battle with friends for free in Fortnite. Be the last player standing in Battle Royale and Zero Build, experience a concert or live event, or discover over a million creator made games, including racing, parkour, zombie survival, and more. Each Fortnite island has an individual age rating so you can find the one that’s right for you and your friends.Explore large, destructible environments where no two games are ever the same. Team up with friends by sprinting, climbing and smashing your way to earn your Victory Royale, whether you choose to build up in Fortnite Battle Royale or go no-builds in Fortnite Zero Build.Discover even more ways to play across thousands of creator-made game genres: adventure, roleplay, survival and more. Or, band together with up to three friends to fend off hordes of monsters in Save the World.
