- Renegade Raider and Aerial Assault Trooper return after seven years, thrilling newcomers but upsetting OG players
- OG players argue the reintroduction devalues their loyalty and exclusivity
- Epic Games offers an exclusive variant for original owners, releasing in Spring 2025
Fortnite is no stranger to thrilling up its community with bold decisions, but its latest move of adding the rarest skins— Renegade Raider and Aerial Assault Trooper, infuriating the whole gaming community, sparking fiery debate.
A Divided Community
The return of the ultra-rare skin after seven long years has divided the player base, with veteran players feeling sidelined and newcomers excited to grab a piece of Fortnite history.
Renegade Raider was introduced in Season 1 and quickly attained the status symbol, offering OG players an opportunity to flex about something in this contemporary era. They weren’t just cosmetics; they were trophies for being there at the beginning.
Fortnite shared an X post saying, “Renegade Raider returns, Run it back to where it all began with the OG Season 1 Shop. Earn XP to unlock the ability to purchase the original Renegade Raider, Aerial Assault Trooper, and more!”
In December 2024, Epic Games brought back these skins to the Item Shop, making them available for purchase once again. However, there was a twist—players needed to earn a certain amount of XP before unlocking the option to buy it.
Opposing Remarks & Epic Games’ Compensation
But why veteran players are protesting so extremely? They hold the opinion that these skins should stay exclusive as these are symbols of loyalty of early players with the game. Allowing everyone to attain it challenges the rarity and lowers the value.
Dexerto shared the remarks of some players, and one of them said, “I am done with epic games, they do not respect the OGs who were the main reason this game existed.” Another said, “That’s it. I’m done.
I’ve been a dedicated Fortnite player since 2017 and the release of Renegade Raider is extremely dehumanizing to us OGs,” On the other hand, newer players have rejoiced over the news as they got an amazing opportunity to lay hands on iconic OG skins.
At the same time, there were those players who didn’t show much interest, on Reddit, users typed down their thoughts, and a user said: “Interesting to see how many people will end up buying these. Personally, I don’t really find these skins that great so I couldn’t care less.”
As this reintroduction has offended old players, Epic has made another announcement to ease the situation, the launch of an exclusive version that will only be available to players who are owners of the original skin and can claim it in spring 2025.
In the end, Fortnite has tried to achieve balance, looking forward to bringing more stirring updates to keep the community on its toes.
