Fortnite’s Harry Potter Skin Is Not What Fans Were Expecting

Few fandoms are as massive and long-lasting as the one for Harry Potter. And Warner Bros. is happy to keep handing fans new things to enjoy, from Hogwarts Legacy to the upcoming TV series. But one recent collab left some fans feeling a bit disappointed. Given that Fortnite seems poised to release skins from pretty much every IP it can get its hands on, a Harry Potter collection was all but inevitable. And in terms of what that Fortnite x Harry Potter crossover might look like, fans had some pretty clear expectations. But now that the Harry Potter collab in Fortnite has been officially revealed, it’s falling a bit short of what many Potterheads would’ve hoped for.

It’s been a big week for Harry Potter fans. The Game Awards dropped the unexpected news that Hogwarts Legacy is this week’s free Epic Games title, and now, Fortnite has unveiled its Harry Potter collab. According to the official announcement from Epic Games, the items are set to arrive “later in December,” but they aren’t quite what you might expect. Alas, there won’t be any Harry, Ron, and Hermione characters running around the map, and not a Voldemort to be seen.

Fortnite Finally Brings Harry Potter Skins to the Game, But Not The Ones Fans Want

There are two elements to the Harry Potter content coming to Fortnite. The first is a free Chocolate Frog back bling item that players can earn by playing Hogwarts Legacy. Gamers who spend at least two hours in the game (presumably via the same Epic Games account used to play Fortnite) will unlock the Chocolate Frog bling. This is admittedly pretty cool for Harry Potter fans who may well be planning to snag Hogwarts Legacy while it’s free anyway. The skins, however, are the letdown here.

Players naturally expected a Harry Potter collab to feature skins of actual characters from the series. Harry himself seemed like a given, and yet, the Boy Who Lived and friends aren’t coming to Fortnite (at least, not yet). Instead, players can unlock “Outfits and accessories inspired by the wizarding world.” These items can be customized to represent the four Hogwarts houses. So essentially, players can cosplay as their Hogwarts Legacy avatar in Fortnite, but not as Harry Potter himself.

Many fans are understandably disappointed with this news. As one Redditor put it, “I wanna play as Harry Potter, not a default dressed in Hogwarts robes.” That said, it does seem to be a promotion for Hogwarts Legacy more than it is a true Harry Potter collection. And given that Harry and company weren’t even alive yet when Hogwarts Legacy takes place, going generic Hogwarts does make sense from that perspective. Even so, it pales in comparison to many Fortnite collabs that do bring beloved characters from popular IP into the game.

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Since the Harry Potter items aren’t set to arrive in Fortnite until later this month, we don’t know what the full lineup looks like just yet. But from the promo images, it seems that Hogwarts robes, scarves, and sweaters for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin will be on offer. That is in addition to the Chocolate Frog back bling earned by playing Hogwarts Legacy. There will also be Challenge rewards for players to “celebrate their favorite house,” with more details headed our way later this month.

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