Update: Epic Says New Fortnite Skins Rating Restrictions ‘Didn’t Hit The Mark,’ Working On New Options

Update, 11/20/23:

Last week, developer Epic Games updated Fortnite to include a new rating restriction that applies to certain skins. Depending on a Fortnite skin, it might only be useable on a creative island with a T rating, meaning the Resident Evil Claire Redfield skin, which features a pistol in a holster on her thigh, can’t be used on islands rated less than Teen. Players were upset with this change as it made skins they paid real money for (often $10 to $20 per skin) unusable in all the ways they might have previously been usable. 

Epic said only 7 percent of Fortnite skins are only usable on Teen-rated islands, at the time, but it’s clear enough skins are affected to have the community unhappy with this update.

Over the weekend, Epic released a statement through the official Fortnite Twitter account stating it missed the mark with the changes: 

“Welp, our plan for cosmetics with the ratings update didn’t hit the mark. We’re working on a few new options that we hope to have in place for say…some sort of big in-game event. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted.” 

As for the big in-game event this account is teasing, it’s likely referring to the Chapter 4 finale event, which will end Chapter 4 and put Fortnite into a period of downtime before Chapter 5 launches, presumably with a brand new map. 

The original story continues below…

Original story, 11/17/23:

Yesterday, Fortnite players noticed that some of the skins in their locker had a new symbol on them – a triangle with a yellow outline and an exclamation mark inside – alongside a warning that said, “Items with the symbol can only be used in experiences rated 12+.” Players were upset with the change, which arrived out of nowhere, as it made skins they previously used on various creative islands unusable on said islands due to the new age rating restriction. Developer Epic Games has now responded, revealing that about 7 percent of Fortnite skins, or Outfits as they’re officially called, can only be equipped in islands rated Teen. 

Shiina on Twitter posted about the change yesterday, and it didn’t take long for players to notice that some of their favorite skins were unusable on creative islands rated Teen. The consensus is that skins featuring specific weaponry, like pistols or knives, are the ones restricted from islands with a lower age rating. But oddly, it seems quite strict on that specific criteria. For example, Michael Myers, a horror icon and fictional serial killer, is allowed on any creative island. The Michael Myers skin doesn’t feature any knives or pistols but it is, quite literally, the killer from the various Halloween movies. 

JoyfulTalmon on Twitter posted a look at his locker in Fortnite and every skin in the image below but their Michael Myers skin is rating-restricted.

It’s quite odd, and players within the community are unhappy – not only are favorite skins no longer usable on certain creative islands, but many of these skins are ones people paid money for (often $10 to $20 depending) and now they can’t be used as wanted in the game. 

Game Informer reached out to Epic yesterday after the update went live to ask some questions about the change. An Epic spokesperson pointed Game Informer towards the tweet below, which reads: “More on today’s rating announcement. About 7% of Fortnite Outfits can only be equipped in islands rated Teen. Ove the next year we will enable most of these Outfits to be compatible with all the ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the island you want to play.” 

The Epic spokesperson also told Game Informer that outfits aren’t restricted based on an individual player’s age or parental control permissions; it’s based solely on an island’s rating. 

Notably, Epic says it’s working over the next year to enable most of the skins in Fortnite to be compatible with all ratings by having them auto-adjust appearance based on the selected island. Presumably, the Resident Evil Claire Redfield skin, which features a pistol in a holster on her thigh, will auto-update to remove the pistol, for example. But that’s speculation for now, and only time will tell. With hundreds of skins in the game, it could take a while, which is likely why Epic is giving itself an estimation of a year to make the changes. 

These changes arrive as Fortnite is underway with its biggest season yet – Fortnite Chapter 4: Season OG, the fifth in this chapter. The battle royale recently had its biggest day ever with 44 million players thanks to this throwback Season OG. If you haven’t yet jumped in, here’s everything you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 4: Season OG.

How do you feel about the new skin-related changes in Fortnite? Let us know in the comments below!