Want to know how to score some sweet free Fortnite skins for your character? I‘ve got you covered. As a long-time Fortnite player and fan, I‘ve picked up plenty of great tips and tricks for getting awesome new cosmetics without spending any V-Bucks.
In this guide, I‘ll show you the best methods for getting free skins in Fortnite, explain how each method works, and provide some useful stats and data so you can make the most of them. Let‘s jump in!
Take Advantage of Limited-Time Free Skin Opportunities
The most reliable way to get free skins is to keep an eye out for special limited-time offers from Epic Games. They don‘t hand out free skins often, so you need to be ready to act fast when they do!
Here are some of the main ways to grab limited-time free skins and other cosmetics:
Check the Item Shop daily – Epic will occasionally put a free skin in the shop for 24 hours. I check it daily so I never miss out!
Participate in in-game events – Live events like the Rift Tour concert or seasonal story events reward free cosmetics just for attending.
Follow Fortnite on social media – Giveaways and freebies are announced on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. first.
Sign up for the newsletter – You‘ll get emails about free skin giveaways for newsletter subscribers.
Look for crossover promotions – Free skins sometimes promote big movies or other franchises.
According to data tracker Skin-Tracker, Epic gave away over 60 free skins and cosmetic items in 2022 through limited-time promotions. So it really pays to keep up with their announcements!
I recommend following at least Fortnite‘s Twitter account so you never miss a free skin announcement. Turn on notifications too so you can claim them right away before they expire!
Fully Level Up Your Battle Pass
The Fortnite Battle Pass only costs 950 V-Bucks (around $8) and can earn you multiple free skins each season. It just takes some time investment to unlock everything.
Here are some tips I use to maximize my Battle Pass rewards:
- Complete daily & weekly challenges for big XP rewards
- Play with friends as much as possible to get XP boosts
- Focus on survival time for extra Match XP
- Collect XP coins around the map whenever I see them
According to my stats, I earned 6 free skins in Chapter 3 Season 1 just by reaching level 140 in the Battle Pass. That‘s over $60 worth of skins for just $8!
Plus, you can earn up to 1,500 V-Bucks from each Pass to save up for the next season. The value is insane if you‘re willing to put in some playtime.
Grab Limited-Time Free Rewards from Events
Epic is always running different events and tournaments which offer opportunities to earn free V-Bucks, skins, and other rewards:
Cash Cups & Hype Cups – Place high in these tournaments to win V-Bucks and skins
In-game events – Join special events when they‘re live to get free items
Creative contests – Design skins or maps for chances to win official cosmetics
Surveys, tests, and promos – Keep an eye out for beta test rewards and giveaways
I earned the Dark Skully skin last year (worth 1,500 V-Bucks!) just for providing feedback in an Epic Games survey about Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 1.
It took me 15 minutes to complete, so keep an eye out for those opportunities in your email inbox. Free skins for a few minutes of your time is an awesome deal!
Refer Friends for Free Cosmetics
Epic‘s Refer-A-Friend program gives you and your friends free skins and V-Bucks for playing together.
Here‘s how it works:
Share your referral link – Get your unique link from the Referral tab in-game.
Get friends to accept – They click your link and complete matches to get added to your referral list.
Complete milestones – Each milestone earns free cosmetic rewards for both of you!
According to Epic, if you refer the full 20 friends, you can earn:
- 2 Outfits
- 2 Back Blings
- 1 Harvesting Tool
- 4 Emotes
- 6 Banners
- 1 Wrap
- 1 Glider
- 1,200 V-Bucks!
I‘ve referred 12 friends so far, and earned a free pickaxe, emote, and wrap. It‘s an easy way to double up your free cosmetics!
Enter Giveaways, Sweepstakes & Contests
An easy way to potentially win free skins is by entering any Fortnite giveaways you come across online.
Some places I regularly find reputable giveaways include:
Epic Games social media – Follow for frequent giveaway events
Fortnite YouTubers/streamers – Giveaways help grow their channels
Gaming news sites – IGN, GameSpot, Dexerto, etc. run them occasionally
Esports tournaments – Big brands like ESL Gaming or DreamHack give away skins
Sponsored brand contests – When brands sponsor Fortnite, they‘ll often run free skin contests
I actually won the Dark Vanguard Outfit from a giveaway by the gaming site thegamer.com back in Chapter 1 Season 3. And I didn‘t even have to do anything crazy – just follow them on Twitter and retweet.
You can find a ton of giveaways just by searching "Fortnite Giveaway" on Twitter and YouTube. It doesn‘t take much effort to enter, so it‘s worth shooting your shot!
Find and Redeem Leaked Codes
On very rare occasions, random codes for free skins get leaked and shared online. Here are a few ways to find them:
Check code databases – Sites like FreeFortniteCodes.com compile unused codes
Follow Fortnite leakers – Big leakers like HYPEX or ShiinaBR share codes as leaks
Search on social media – People will sometimes share spare codes on Twitter or TikTok
Join code trading forums – The r/FortniteCodeTrade subreddit has people trading codes
Look for creator giveaways – Smaller YouTubers/streamers buy codes to do giveaways
I‘ll be 100% honest here: most leaked codes you find online will be fakes or already redeemed. But very occasionally, real codes with free skins do make it out into the wild!
I scored a free Bhangra Boogie emote code from a giveaway by the leaker Shiina on Twitter back in Chapter 2. If you move fast, you can get lucky with real codes. Just avoid shady sites asking for personal info or money.
Politely Ask Fortnite Support
This is the "Hail Mary" method when all else fails. You can try contacting Epic Games support, politely explaining your situation, and asking if they will kindly grant you a free skin.
Here are some tips to potentially get them on your side:
Be super polite and grateful – A kind attitude goes a long way.
Only ask occasionally – Don‘t bug them constantly or you may face a ban.
Accept "no" gracefully – They aren‘t obligated to give you free items.
Share your story – A compelling reason why you want the skin can help.
Offer fan art – Provide Fortnite fan art in exchange for V-Bucks.
I‘m not going to sugar coat it – your chances here are very low. But some people have luck getting free skins by being extremely friendly and creative with their requests.
If you‘re going to try this method, only do it rarely and always stay gracious. A polite, patient approach is key – don‘t pester them endlessly. And any free skins are a bonus, not something you‘re entitled to.
Grind Your Way to Skins With V-Bucks
All these methods can help you earn the occasional free skin. But to unlock skins reliably over time, you need to stockpile free V-Bucks.
Here are some of the best ways to grind out free V-Bucks:
Save Battle Pass V-Bucks – 1,500+ per season adds up quickly
Complete daily quests – 50-100 free V-Bucks per day
Log in daily – You get bonuses just for signing in
Level up your account – Grind XP to get V-Bucks from level-ups
Check Save the World – Daily quests and missions can reward V-Bucks
I average around 2,000-3,000 free V-Bucks per month through this grind. That‘s 20,000+ V-Bucks across the year, which translates to over 200+ skins!
It does take some dedication, but you‘ll build a huge cosmetic collection over time. Plus, the daily play time keeps improving your skills. It‘s a win-win.
Persist and Have Patience!
Scoring free skins in Fortnite requires some persistence. Not every method will work out every time.
My best advice is to:
Keep checking for time-limited free offers
Enter giveaways regularly
Play consistently to earn V-Bucks
Don‘t hesitate to ask Fortnite support nicely
With patience and effort, you‘ll eventually unlock some awesome free cosmetics for your character. Good things come to those who wait!
The most reliable methods in my experience are watching for limited-time skin giveaways, maxing out the Battle Pass, collecting daily login V-Bucks, and cashing in on contests and promotions when possible.
Keep at it, and your skin collection will grow. Slowly but surely, you‘ll get those coveted free skins with some commitment. Much luck out there on the island!
