Epic Games’ Fortnite is known for its many collaborations and crossovers. These have featured popular TV shows, movies, video games, anime, and more. Some of these are featured more prominently than others, returning and being available in the in-game Fortnite shop several times. Some even have crossover events where the map has new POIs or new weapons are added. Avatar: The Last Airbender is one such collaboration. It has already seen multiple skins added to the game and in-game events, and a new rumor has revealed that even more skins from Avatar: The Last Airbender may be coming to Fortnite.
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The attention shown to Avatar: The Last Airbender brings a different kind of attention to other collaborations, specifically ones that have not seen a return in several years. Of these, the popular anime Naruto has not seen its skins in the store for three years. This has led fans to wonder what is happening with this crossover and why Epic Games has not allowed players to get these skins.
Fortnite’s Rumored Avatar Skins Shine A Light On Naruto’s Long-Awaited Return
With Avatar: The Last Airbender reportedly returning to Fortnite again with new skins, it begs the question of where another popular anime series will be. Naruto skins have not been seen in the Fortnite Item Shop since November 15th, 2022. Fortnite’s in-game shop often rotates what is available to keep the store fresh and give players more chances to purchase the skins they want.
Avatar: The Last Airbender has been featured several times. Epic Games even included a special event featuring the series where players could use the various Bending powers in. With how frequently these items return to the Fortnite shop, one has to wonder why the series is getting so much love.
Comparing the two shows, there are six skins from Avatar: The Last Airbender, while there are eight different Naruto skins. This tells us that even though Naruto hasn’t returned or been featured in a prominent event, there was considerable collaboration between the two. This leaves the question of why fans have not seen a Naruto skin since 2022.
However, with new skins coming to Fortnite, this number will now shift in favor of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Fans of the show are happy to see more of this crossover, but Naruto fans are desperate, even for just a return of existing skins. With no news on the horizon of the skins returning, fans have begun wondering if this is more than an issue of favoritism.
What Is Going With Naruto’s Skins?
The Naruto skins in Fortnite have not been available since 2022, marking three years since players could purchase them. This puts them among the rarest skins in the game. Other rare skins, such as Borderland 3’s Psycho Bandit and Street Fighter skins, have returned after a long hiatus, but this is not the case for Naruto. One major theory has emerged as a frontrunner for why fans haven’t seen them return.
There may be licensing issues that prevent Epic Games from bringing the Naruto skins back. A similar problem occurred with Jinx and Vi from Netflix’s Arcane, and other skins that have not been rereleased since 2022. If this is the case, there would be legal issues preventing Epic Games from bringing these skins back to Fortnite.
This is the worst-case scenario, however, as it would mean that the skins will likely never return. Instead, it could be another reason, like revenue. While both anime are popular, Avatar: The Last Airbender has seen a resurgence after Netflix adapted the series into a live-action TV show. It could also be a better deal with Avatar Studios, leading to more collaborations and favorable treatment.
Naruto, on the other hand, is now into Boruto, which, while successful, hasn’t had the same appeal as Naruto. Yet there are skins from The Legend of Korra that follow the same direction as Boruto. Both are spin-offs that take place after the main events of the primary anime. So why is Naruto and Boruto getting the silent treatment?
Another reason for the long absence could be that Epic Games is planning a major event for the crossover’s return. Avatar: The Last Airbender saw a big event when the Bending powers were added, and Naruto could share the same fate. The ninjustu or taijustu abilities from the anime would be perfect for Fortnite, so fans are hopeful that the reason is something like this.
Sadly, there is no way to know without an official statement from Epic Games. Speculating, unfortunately, leads nowhere. There is no telling when or if Naruto skins will ever return to Fortnite. If they do, fans should purchase them immediately or risk missing out on them for several more years.
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