Summary

  • Epic Games mistakenly re-released an exclusive cosmetic, 'Bow Blades, causing confusion among Fortnite players.
  • Players who purchased 'Bow Blades will receive a full refund.
  • V-Bucks refunds may not be issued until after the next major update on October 11 or October 15.

A recent Fortnite Item Shop refresh brought back an exclusive Chapter 3 Season 3 cosmetic, and many players bought it before it could be removed, causing Epic Games to speak up about the issue. Fortnite is free-to-play, but gamers can exchange real-life money for V-Bucks to buy cosmetic items, such as skins, emotes, pickaxes, gliders, and much more. Seeing the Item Shop refresh to see the cosmetics that will be available that day is one of the best parts of Fortnite for many fans, which is why Epic Games is constantly coming up with new cosmetics.

There are extremely rare cosmetics in Fortnite, whether it's because they were exclusive to a Battle Pass, released in the earlier stages of the game, or given away as event rewards. Exclusiveness and rarity often go hand-in-hand in the world of Fortnite. However, it is clear that Epic Games is trying to demolish the concept of exclusivity, especially considering how it made it possible for Battle Pass skins from Chapter 5 Season 4 onwards to return to the Item Shop.

This change followed the accidental release of the Paradigm, which was originally only supposed to be available for those who bought it during Fortnite Chapter 1 Season X. Epic Games allowed fans to keep the skin, and it even returned the V-Bucks they spent on it. It seems that this mistake happened once again on October 3, 2024, at 8 PM ET with the accidental release of the 'Bow Blades, supposedly exclusive to those who got it back in Chapter 3 Season 3 during FNCS.

When Were the 'Bow Blades Original Released?

  • August 12, 2022, at 8 PM ET

Alluding to the Paradigm situation in August 2024, Epic Games even made a statement with the same exact words. So, it appears that players who purchased 'Bow Blades in 2024 will be able to keep the pickaxe, and they'll also receive a full refund of their purchase. On top of this, original buyers will receive an exclusive style for the skin as a reward for getting it earlier in the game's life and get the chance to refund if they're unhappy with the error that occurred.

It is unknown when gamers will get their V-Bucks back, but they shouldn't expect it before the next major update and the release of the new style for it. Thankfully, if the refund is granted by then, they'll only have to wait until October 11 or October 15, which is when the Fortnitemares update is expected to be released.

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Fortnite
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Released
September 26, 2017
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WHERE TO PLAY

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Developer(s)
Epic Games
Genre(s)
Survival, Battle Royale, Shooter, Action, Adventure
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
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