'Fortnite' Has Introduced Soccer Skins, but When Do They Become Available?

For its latest set of skins, Fortnite has decided to let its players get athletic. Epic, the company behind the game, partnered with some of the biggest soccer clubs in the world to introduce the new "kickoff set" which allows players to swap between 23 different kits. The full list of clubs has some big names, but is also remarkably global, with teams from a number of different countries including the U.S., Japan, and Australia. 

There are two ways to get Fortnite's new skins. For most people, they'll become available on Jan. 23 when they go up for sale. Some players will get early access to the new skins, and for free, though. Those are the players that participate in one of the tournaments that's offering the skins as prizes. The first is the “Pelé Cup,” which is being held on Jan. 20. 

In addition to that tournament, there's also the "Faze City Cup," which is being held on Jan. 21. This tournament is a partnership between Faze Clan, an esports organization, and Manchester City soccer club. This is a continuation of a partnership that was first announced in 2019. The tournament will feature Faze players Nate Hill and Kyle “Mongraal” Jackson.  

In addition to the new skins, Fortnite is also introducing a new, soccer-themed game that will be available in creative mode. The full description explains that "players will use their bodies, pickaxes, power-ups, speed boosts, and more to try to outscore their opponents and come out the winner in this 4v4 bracket style game mode. Each game features two rounds, with the winners advancing to face off against and the other team battling for 3rd and 4th in the other match." 

Although there are plenty of teams included in the new skins, there are also some notable omissions to the list of available skins. Bayern Munich is among those teams absent, as well as a number of other European teams including Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Still, soccer fans won't have much to complain about given the number of skins that are available. 

Although these new skins serve as professional soccer's formal introduction to the world of Fortnite, the game has partnered with major sports leagues in the past. In 2018, the game introduced a line of NFL skins. Players could dress their characters in the jerseys of any of the league's 32 teams, and the game also introduced some made-up jerseys that were specific to the world of Fortnite. 

In addition to partnering with the NFL, Fortnite has also introduced jerseys that users could dress their avatars in for the FIFA World Cup in 2018. The jerseys were not introduced in partnership with FIFA, though, which is a notable difference from the current skins rollout. At that time, Fortnite also allowed players to play soccer inside the game, so there's definitely a precedent for soccer's invasion into Fortnite.