If you’ve spent more than five minutes in a Fortnite lobby lately, you’ve probably seen one. A shirtless guy with tactical pants, Cactus Jack sneakers, and that weirdly accurate braided hair. It’s the Travis Scott skin, and honestly, it’s basically the "holy grail" of the Icon Series at this point.
Most people think it’s just another rare skin, like Renegade Raider or Aerial Assault Trooper. But it’s more than that. It’s a piece of gaming history that’s been MIA for over 2,000 days.
The 2,000-Day Disappearance
Let’s get the timeline straight because people get this wrong all the time. The Travis Scott skin first dropped on April 21, 2020. It was part of the "Astronomical" event, which was—let’s be real—the peak of COVID-era entertainment. Over 12 million players watched a giant Travis stomp through the ocean while "SICKO MODE" played.
It was available in the Item Shop for a grand total of six days. The last time anyone could officially buy it was April 27, 2020. Since then? Absolute radio silence from Epic Games.
Why the Travis Scott Skin Still Matters
So, why is everyone still obsessed? There are cooler skins now. We have Darth Vader, Peter Griffin, and literally hundreds of Marvel characters.
It’s the "sweat" factor.
High-level players and pros like Mongraal and Clix made the skin famous by using it in tournaments. Because it’s slim and "clean," players feel like it gives them a competitive edge. Plus, the T-3500 style (the cyborg version) looks incredible under the neon lights of the current Fortnite map.
Then there’s the Astro Jack skin. That was the "other" skin in the bundle, featuring a space helmet with a reflection of the Chapter 1 map. If you own that, you’re basically a Fortnite historian.
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What Actually Happened?
A lot of people think the skin is "banned" or "blacklisted" because of the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival in 2021. For a while, that seemed to be the case. Epic Games even disabled the "out west" emote during that period.
But here’s the thing: Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, actually spoke up about this on X (formerly Twitter). He basically said that Travis Scott is not blacklisted. He mentioned that Travis is welcome in Fortnite, but the timing and the "collaborative nature" of these things are complicated.
How Much Does It Cost (If It Returns)?
If the skin ever hits the shop again, you aren't going to need a mortgage, but you’ll need some V-Bucks saved up. Based on the original 2020 pricing, here is what you should expect:
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- Travis Scott (Individual Skin): 1,500 V-Bucks.
- Astro Jack (Individual Skin): 2,000 V-Bucks.
- Astronomical Bundle: 2,500 V-Bucks (this is the best deal, honestly).
- Diamond Jack (Pickaxe): 800 V-Bucks.
Don't fall for those "Free Travis Scott Skin" tutorials on YouTube. They’re fake. Every single one of them. They usually tell you to change your language settings or enter a specific code in the "Report a Bug" menu. None of that works.
Is It Coming Back in 2026?
We’re in 2026 now, and the rumors are louder than ever. With the Fortnite Festival mode being a huge part of the game’s ecosystem, there’s a massive gap where Travis Scott’s music should be. We’ve seen Lionel Messi, Billie Eilish, and even Kratos make returns or debuts.
The most realistic theory? Epic might be waiting for a specific career milestone or a new album launch (like the rumored Utopia follow-up) to bring the set back. Or, they might just drop it on a random Tuesday to break the internet.
The Truth About Account Trading
Because the skin is so rare, there’s a massive underground market for accounts that own it. You’ll see "Stacked Travis Scott Accounts" selling for $100 to $500 on eBay or specialized forums.
Don't do it. Buying and selling accounts is against Epic's Terms of Service. If they catch you—and they usually do when the IP address suddenly jumps across the country—they will permaban the account. You’ll be out of your money and the skin.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you’re desperate to add this to your locker, here is what you actually need to do instead of watching fake "how-to" videos:
- Keep 2,500 V-Bucks in your account at all times. Epic loves "surprise" drops. If it returns at 8:00 PM EST on a random night, it might only stay for 24 hours.
- Follow reliable leakers. Don't trust "FortniteNews123" on TikTok. Follow people like HYPEX or ShiinaBR on X. They track the "item shop tabs" in the game files. If a "Travis Scott" tab is added to the API, they will know days before it happens.
- Check the Fortnite Festival passes. If Travis Scott is ever announced as a featured artist for a Festival season, the skin is almost guaranteed to return to the shop alongside his tracks.
The Travis Scott skin in Fortnite remains a symbol of an era when the game felt like the center of the universe. Whether you like his music or just want the "sweaty" reputation, the only thing you can do right now is wait for the shop to reset and hope for that purple icon to appear.
Watch the API updates closely during the next major game patch. If Epic updates the skin's shop assets to the current "Chapter 6" or "Chapter 7" UI format, that is your strongest signal that a return is imminent.