Master Chief’s return to Fortnite stirs fan upset, as it’s discovered that an Xbox exclusive has been removed

UPDATE 10.40pm UK: Epic Games has now returned the Xbox-exclusive Master Chief design and apologised for confusion after previously stating it would no longer be available. A Christmas miracle!

ORIGINAL STORY 11.20am UK:
Halo icon Master Chief returned to the Fortnite item shop last night after a lengthy absence, but his return has been marred by an unannounced change to the character’s Xbox-exclusive design.

Previously, playing Fortnite on an Xbox console (or via Xbox Cloud Gaming) unlocked an additional, console-exclusive Matte Black version of the Master Chief skin. But when the Spartan returned to the Fortnite shop last night, new purchasers found this was no longer available.

Several hours later, Fortnite maker Epic Games announced via the game’s support account on X that the “Matte Black style for The Master Chief is no longer unlockable” and that the bonus was limited to players who had bought the outfit before this month.

Fortnite fans quickly pointed back to a post from Epic Games back in 2020 announcing the skin, which stated that players would unlock the Xbox-exclusive version “at ANY point in the future” and that there was “no time limit for unlocking this style”.

A community note has now been attached to Epic Games’ announcement today, pointing out the contradiction, while fans have said Epic Games has fumbled the announcement by only announcing the change after the skin returned on sale.

Epic Games has not said why the Xbox exclusive has now ended, or whether similar PlayStation skins with console-exclusive variants (such as Horizon’s Aloy) are also affected. We’ve contacted the company for more.

In happier news, Fortnite has launched its Cyberpunk 2077 crossover, which includes skins for Johnny Silverhand and V.