What Happens After You Buy the Fortnite Battle Pass? A Comprehensive Guide
Purchasing the Fortnite Battle Pass transforms your gameplay experience, unlocking a wealth of exclusive rewards and progression opportunities. The immediate effect is the activation of a tiered reward system, where you unlock new cosmetic items, V-Bucks, and other perks as you level up during the season. But what exactly does this mean for you? Let’s break it down.
The moment you acquire the Battle Pass, either by purchasing it directly for 950 V-Bucks or through a Fortnite Crew subscription, the Battle Pass tab in your game’s menu comes alive. You are presented with a ladder of rewards, each tier offering a unique prize. The primary way to progress through these tiers is by gaining experience (XP) through gameplay. Every match, challenge, and daily quest completed contributes to your overall XP, pushing you towards the next level and the subsequent reward.
It’s essential to understand that your progress is tied to a specific season. Every season, a new Battle Pass is released, meaning all progress you’ve made on the previous one will be locked and become unavailable at the start of the next season. You keep all the cosmetics you earned, but will start a new pass and will need to begin leveling up again.
Unlocking a World of Rewards
Tiered Rewards System
The Battle Pass is organized into tiers, with each tier containing a specific reward. These rewards typically include:
- Cosmetic Skins (Outfits): Unique character skins, often with multiple styles and variants, allowing you to customize your in-game appearance. These are highly sought-after items that add to the personalization and fun of the game.
- Back Blings: Decorative items worn on your character’s back, offering another layer of visual flair.
- Pickaxes: Different pickaxe designs for harvesting materials, adding variety to your gameplay.
- Gliders: Unique glider designs for your character’s descent, making each landing a stylish affair.
- Emotes: Animated gestures and dances for expressing yourself in the game.
- Loading Screens: Unique artwork that appears while the game loads, adding to the visual experience.
- V-Bucks: The in-game currency that allows you to purchase items in the shop, and the next season’s battle pass. Completing a pass can earn you enough V-Bucks to cover the cost of the next pass.
- Music Tracks: Special music tracks that you can use in the game.
- Sprays: Unique art that you can spray onto any in game surface.
- Battle Stars: You can gain battle stars which are used to instantly level up.
Experience and Leveling
To advance through the tiers, you need to earn XP. The more you play and the more challenges you complete, the faster you’ll progress. Each level you gain unlocks the reward on that corresponding tier. It’s not just about playing; strategic gameplay, completing challenges, and daily quests all boost your progress significantly.
Retroactive Rewards
If you purchase the Battle Pass later in the season, don’t worry about missing out. You will retroactively receive all the rewards up to your current level. This means if you’ve reached level 50 and then decide to buy the Battle Pass, you will immediately unlock all the rewards up to tier 50, allowing you to enjoy the full benefits without the fear of missing out. This is one of the best features of the Battle Pass, as it means you can play as much as you like without feeling pressured into buying a pass.
Style Variants
Some cosmetic items have style variants. These are different versions of the same item that are unlocked by completing specific in-game tasks, such as completing a certain amount of challenges. You may see a “Requires Base Item” tag which means that you have to unlock the base version of the skin first before you can obtain the style variant.
Limited Time and What Happens When the Season Ends
Battle Pass Expiry
Each Battle Pass is tied to a specific season and ends when the season concludes. It is crucial to make sure that you have unlocked all of the tiers that you want before the season ends because once it’s over, all unearned rewards are permanently gone. Be sure to check the in-game countdown timer to know when the current season and Battle Pass will expire.
Unspent Battle Stars
Any unspent Battle Stars (the currency you get from leveling up the battle pass that allows you to unlock tiers) will disappear at the end of the season. It’s essential to make sure that you spend them in the store before the season expires to get all the rewards you want.
Leveling Past 100
Once you hit level 100, you unlock all the regular Battle Pass rewards. However, you can continue to gain levels if you wish. It’s important to know that there are no additional rewards for leveling past 100 in a regular battle pass. Certain passes or events may have additional rewards after level 100 though, but it is important to read the details of the pass you have bought.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I activate the Fortnite Battle Pass?
To activate the Battle Pass, click on the BATTLE PASS tab at the top of your screen, and then click “GET THE BATTLE PASS.” Choose the pass you want to purchase and confirm the transaction using V-Bucks.
2. What happens if I buy the Battle Pass but don’t finish it?
You will keep all the rewards you earned up to the level you reached, but you will not unlock the rewards for levels you didn't achieve. There is no penalty for not completing the pass, but you will not receive the exclusive cosmetic items from higher tiers.
3. Do I get everything if I buy the Battle Pass late?
Yes, if you buy the Battle Pass late in the season, you will **retroactively** receive all of the rewards up to your current level. For example, if you are at level 60, then when you buy the pass you will instantly receive all rewards up to level 60.
4. When does a Fortnite Battle Pass end?
The Battle Pass expires at the end of each **specific season**. You can usually see the date of expiry within the Battle Pass tab in game.
5. Do I keep my Battle Pass rewards after the season ends?
Yes, you keep all the rewards (skins, emotes, etc.) that you have already earned. You only lose access to the unearned rewards and the option to level up the pass.
6. Is the Fortnite Battle Pass a monthly subscription?
No, the standard Battle Pass is a **one-time purchase** at the beginning of each season. However, **Fortnite Crew** is a monthly subscription that includes the current season's Battle Pass, among other benefits.
7. What happens if I buy the Battle Pass at level 100?
You will instantly unlock all rewards up to tier 100, but you will not gain any additional rewards for leveling past 100 with the basic Battle Pass.
8. How long does a Battle Pass season last?
A standard Battle Pass season usually lasts **12 weeks**. Each week, new challenges are unlocked to help you progress through your pass.
9. Is the Battle Pass always 950 V-Bucks?
Yes, the **standard Battle Pass** generally costs 950 V-Bucks. However, there can be different types of Battle Passes, like the OG Battle Pass which had a lower amount of tiers.
10. What happens if I purchase a Battle Pass late?
You will still get all the rewards up to your level at the time of purchase. You will also have access to all of the challenges for the whole season.
11. Do I have to buy the Battle Pass every season?
Yes, you need to **purchase the Battle Pass each season** if you wish to access its exclusive rewards. The Battle Pass is not a one-time purchase.
12. How much is 1,000 V-Bucks worth?
In most regions, 1,000 V-Bucks typically cost around $7.99.
13. Do I get V-Bucks every month with Fortnite Crew?
Yes, **Fortnite Crew subscribers** receive 1,000 V-Bucks each month, as well as the current season's Battle Pass and other exclusive rewards.
14. How many free V-Bucks can I get in a Battle Pass?
You can usually earn around **1,000 or more V-Bucks** by progressing in the Battle Pass. These V-Bucks can be used for future Battle Passes or in-game store purchases.
15. Does your level reset when you buy the Battle Pass?
No, your Player Level will not reset when you buy the Battle Pass. You will start earning both Player Level XP and Battle Pass Level XP. Your Battle Pass Level however does reset every season.
The Fortnite Battle Pass is a central part of the game’s experience. It provides a structured system for leveling up, and obtaining unique cosmetics which you will keep forever. Enjoy working your way through the Battle Pass tiers each season, and try to unlock everything!