Epic Games has totally rocked the Fortnite community with a most unexpected announcement. The LEGO Pass skins are now officially in the Item Shop at this very moment. Yes, indeed, you heard it right. The skins that were part of a progression pass of a LEGO-themed road are now available for direct purchase. This is a massive change in the way Epic is providing content, and players… their feelings are somewhat mixed.
The reliable leaker HYPEX was the one who revealed this piece of information through a tweet that was as explosive as it was simple: “LEGO PASS SKINS OUT NOW IN THE SHOP”. Just like that! There was no build-up, no extravagant trailer. You just got a link to the shop and that was all. The community reacted immediately with a mixture of enthusiasm and pure confusion. One user gave the perfect answer: Cubikal said, “Oh that’s why I have the girl skin. I couldn’t for the life of me remember why I had that.” It appears that a lot of players had these skins but were completely unaware of the reason behind them, which is rather funny if you think about it.
Nonetheless, the real uproar started when the players realized what this actually signified. Luna_Redhood pointed out the most curious aspect and posed the question, “I have both from the Lego pass, but they only release the backpiece and pickaxe now?” That is a very crucial difference. It appears that Epic is now retailing single characters but not the full set of items that were part of the initial pass. So if you missed out on the pass, you can now purchase the character but you might not get the glider, pickaxe, or back bling that came with it. Another user concurred that it was a diabolical move indeed since it would compel players to acquire separate items if they desired the complete look.
This has once more brought up the entire issue of Battle Pass exclusivity. The unspoken rule of Fortnite was that skins from a Battle Pass that you did not participate in would never be available again. It was like a badge of honor that could only be worn by the lucky ones who were there. But recently, Epic has been playing around with this concept, first with the “OG Pass” and now with the Lego Pass content being available in the shop. It is a rule-changer, and the community has split into two equal factions.
Some players have actually welcomed the idea, like KINGX_55, who regards it as a second chance. Others, however, quickly pointed out the financial downside to it. GothRavenMommy replied, “It’s a brilliant idea, but the only drawback is it’s more expensive and you get less out of it.” And they are right. gloomride calculated the cold, hard numbers saying, “If u wanna wait 2 years to pay 1500v per skin that people got for basically ‘free’/cheaper go ahead.” The original LEGO Pass was priced at around 1000 V-Bucks, and it included multiple skins and items. Now, if you want just one skin from that pass in the shop, it is most likely going to cost you 1500 V-Bucks or more. So actually, you are paying a premium for having waited, and even worse, you are NOT getting the complete package. Ugh!
Honestly, this pricing strategy is pretty ridiculous. S_C_L909 went as far as to comment on the tweet that the main attraction of a Battle Royale Pass had always been its quantity. “The reason for the Battle Pass, now that they are no longer exclusive, is that when in the shop you spend between 2000 and 3500 for a bundle of a single skin, in the Battle Pass you get bundles of at least 8 skins for only 1000.” Hence, by releasing the skins from the pass in the shop one by one, Epic is essentially destroying that value model. You are no longer rewarded for being committed to the grind; you are merely another customer making a quick purchase.
And, of course, this immediately led to future speculation. The overwhelming question on everyone’s lips was: what about the real Battle Pass skins? You know, the super rare ones like Black Knight or Renegade Raider. Are they next? The comments were filled with this concern. One user, X_DJDEEM_X, dashed the hopes of Peter Griffin’s return, saying: “Hes exclusive so he aint coming back,” while referring to the official policy that Battle Passes before Chapter 5 Season 2 would remain exclusive. But as Epic is breaking the rules more and more, is it still possible to trust that? magickbones and Kingwol46059698 engaged in a whole argument about the “18 rule” and what it actually means, illustrating how puzzled and uncertain the player base is. The LEGO Pass skins are now in the shop, and players on PlayStation and Xbox are all discussing it.
