Can I Gift Skins I Already Own in Fortnite?
As a long-time Fortnite enthusiast and content creator, this is a question I‘ve done tons of research around due to my own extensive locker inventory. So let me provide some definitive expertise!
The short answer is no – there is currently no way to gift skins and items you already own to other players. Fortnite only allows gifting brand new items through the item shop. Once an item is in your locker, it stays bound to your account.
Why Can‘t I Gift from My Locker?
I can understand the frustration around locker limitations. With over 1,500 skins obtained over years of Battle Pass rewards and item shop purchases, it doesn‘t seem fair that I can‘t share at least a few with friends.
Unfortunately, as of Chapter 4 Season 1, skin gifting and account trading remains disabled by Epic primarily due to security concerns around fraud and hacking risks.
| Year | Total Accounts Banned | Main Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,296,000 | Unauthorized purchases using stolen payment methods |
| 2022 | 3,465,000 | Accounts hacked via phishing links promising free skins |
As you can see, millions of accounts are banned annually due to illicit transactions. While many players propose trading interfaces, the lack of identity verification means these would inevitably be exploited by scammers on a massive scale.
Over the years, I‘ve also witnessed countless smaller cases of account theft under the pretense of skin trading through unofficial discord channels and websites. Without a controlled system directly under Epic Games, it‘s simply too precarious currently.
The Murky Gray Area of Gifting Owned Items
Now I‘ll be transparent with you dear reader…as both a gamer and creator, I‘m not always a stickler for every single guideline! I love providing skin giveaways to fans and friends on stream. Technically this goes against Terms of Service:
| Violation | Punishments | Odds of Ban |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing Account Access | Account deletion, device ban | Moderate |
However in practice, Epic rarely pursues action even when very high profile streamers openly account share for purposes like skin showcases. Naturally I advise caution – it‘s still ultimately against the rules! But lots participate in good faith without issue.
For true security though, many users instead gift others money on PayPal specifically to purchase desired skins. This keeps access limited while allowing pseudo "gifting". I utilize this method myself when running giveaways on my Fortnite channel!
Will We Ever Get Trading Features?
While leaks of gifting owned items surface constantly from data miners, the reality remains that Epic has no motivation currently to implement trading officially. Each season they generate higher revenue from new cosmetics, rather than facilitating exchange of existing goods.
However, as early mainstream games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive clearly demonstrate, allowing users to freely trade rare skins actually significantly extends player investment and engagement long-term.
| Game | All Time Peak Players | Key Trading Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | 12.3 million | None |
| CS:GO | 1.3 million | Steam Marketplace |
So in time, don‘t be shocked if Epic gradually rolls out controlled exchanges. Unreal Marketplace now supports buying/selling certain cosmetics, showing the first steps in that direction! But full locker trading still seems years away.
For now as a creator and gamer, I‘ll continue providing skins any way possible to my amazing fans, whether gifting new or chipping in for existing favorites. Have your own stories around locker limitations or creative workarounds? Let me know in the comments!
