Epic says some Fortnite Battle Pass items will no longer be exclusive

Epic has announced a significant change to Fortnite Battle Pass item exclusivity.

In a blog published on Wednesday, it said that any type of item included in future Fortnite Battle Passes might be offered for sale in the Fortnite Shop 18 or more months after the Battle Pass in question has expired.

“These include Outfits, Back Blings, Pickaxes, Emotes, Instruments, Decals, Wraps, Loading Screens, Banner Icons, and more.”

In an FAQ, it said not all items are guaranteed to come to the shop after 18 months.

“Shop selection is dependent on a variety of factors, and there is no guarantee that a Battle Pass item will come to the Shop after this change goes into effect. If an item in a future Battle Pass will never be available outside the Pass, we’ll let you know!”

Epic added: “One reason for this change is that we want players down the road to enjoy Battle Pass content such as Outfits based on popular licensed characters.”

The move will enable Epic to generate more revenue from skins outside of the Battle Pass, which will remain priced at 950 V-Bucks.

Earlier this summer, Fortnite introduced a new Battle Royale mode featuring classic weapons and locations.

Titled Fortnite Reload, it’s a 40-player mode set on a more compact map which includes familiar locations like Tilted Towers and Retail Row.

There are no drivable vehicles as the map’s easy to traverse on foot, and the Storm moves faster than is normally the case.

Like Call of Duty Warzone’s Resurgence mode, Reload lets players respawn as long as one of their squad is still alive.