One of the reasons the game Fortnite is so popular is the sheer number of customization options available to players. Since it was released in 2017, there have been countless skins added for players to adorn their character with, and plenty of crossover events have given them the opportunity to dress as their favorite franchise character, as well.
But is there a way to get skins for free in Fortnite?
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Are there any free items available in 'Fortnite'?
There's really an impressive number of skins a player can accumulate over the years. Occasionally, some of these skins, emotes, and other exclusive items will be offered as rewards for leveling up or as part of an event, meaning that you won't have to dish out any real-world money to get them.
Crossover event skins are often gifted to the highest-ranking players in a tournament. If you're not one of the top-rated, you'll have to buy the skin you want in the e-shop.
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There's also an impressive selection of skins available in the item shop for purchase with V-Bucks. Since you can earn V-Bucks as you level up in the battle pass, you can also use those earned V-Bucks to purchase skins without using real money — though you likely will not earn enough to get all of the new skins available each season using only this method.
Unfortunately, if you're looking to amass an impressive collection of Fortnite skins, you'll probably have to spend some of your real money on V-Buck gift cards to collect them all.
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Is there a way to collect skins that were previously available for free?
A lot of the free skins available in the game are only available for a limited amount of time, meaning you'll want to complete the tasks required to get them before they disappear forever. Once the event is over, unfortunately, there isn't a way to collect them.
"If you miss out on a cosmetic, don’t worry! There will be plenty of items to unlock in the future," Epic Games wrote about these items. "In fairness to all of the players who’ve played and unlocked these items, Player Support can’t grant items upon request."
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What free skins are available in 'Fortnite' right now?
Unfortunately, there is only one skin available for free in the game as of this Feb. 21, 2022 writing, and it's exclusive to those who play on PlayStation.
Players who are PS Plus members on either the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 can get a free Sultura skin (with a Cybersaber Pickaxe). Unfortunately, if you do not have a PlayStation with a PS Plus subscription, you cannot get the skin.
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That being said, there were plenty of free in-game skins available during the Winterfest event, so pay attention to big events like that for more free swag.
Any other of Epic Games' free offerings will be posted on its website or social media channels, so check those frequently for updates on more free skins. Any other offers you find online, outside of the official channels may not be trustworthy.
"Any real offers will be displayed in the Epic Games Store or on the official Epic Games websites or social media channels," Epic Games wrote on its site. "If someone tells you to submit a ticket to us with a screenshot or instructions on how to get something for free, be sure to check that this is from official sources, as we won't be able to help with unofficial requests."