The first Fortnite collaboration skin that you could buy in the Item Shop was Black Widow, released on April 25, 2019 as part of the Avengers: Endgame crossover. The first collaboration in Fortnite overall came a year earlier, in May 2018, when the Infinity Gauntlet event let players transform into Thanos. That event was a limited-time mode, not a purchasable Outfit, so which answer you want depends on what “skin” means.
Two defensible answers
“Collab skin” can mean two different things in Fortnite, and the two answers are separated by about a year.
| Interpretation | Answer | Date announced | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| First collaboration of any kind | Thanos, via the Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup | May 7, 2018 | Temporary game-mode transformation; not a purchasable Outfit |
| First licensed Outfit sold in the store | Black Widow (Marvel) | April 25, 2019 | Purchasable Outfit, with a bundle of related cosmetics |
If you are asking about the first licensed character you could equip and wear in the Item Shop, the answer is Black Widow. If you are asking about the first crossover Fortnite ever ran, the answer is the Thanos event.
The first collaboration: Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet (May 2018)
Epic Games announced the Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup on May 7, 2018. In that event, the first player to equip the Infinity Gauntlet transformed into Thanos. Epic describes the event as an Epic–Marvel collaboration, which makes it the first crossover in Fortnite’s history.
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The event did not create a Marvel Outfit that other players could buy. Its importance is that it established the partnership and the format Epic would later use for character-based crossovers. Epic’s official announcement introduces the event this way: “This collaboration started as a simple phone conversation between Epic and Marvel over a mutual appreciation for Fortnite and Avengers.” That post is the source for the event’s date and description.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The first Outfit you could buy: Black Widow (April 2019)
Epic’s Fortnite Endgame post, dated April 25, 2019, introduced the Black Widow Outfit as the first of two Marvel sets in the store. Epic’s wording reads: “the first of two Marvel sets: the Black Widow Outfit plus Widow’s Pack, Widow’s Bite Pickaxe and Widow’s Pirouette Emote!” The set was therefore a bundle, and the Outfit was the centerpiece rather than the only item.
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Forbes reported the same day that the 2018 Infinity War crossover had featured Thanos without any permanent Marvel character skins, and it described Black Widow as the first licensed skin in the store. That coverage is secondary, so the dated Epic announcements are the stronger evidence for the timeline.
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Why the distinction matters
- Game-mode transformations were time-limited and tied to an event. Players could become Thanos during the mashup, but they could not keep the character afterward as a cosmetic.
- Store Outfits stay in the cosmetics catalog until Epic removes them, and they are what most players mean by a “skin.”
- Current availability of Black Widow or any other Marvel item in the Item Shop is not covered by the sources used here. Check the Item Shop in-game or Fortnite’s official news page for the current status.
Sources
- Epic Games / Fortnite, “Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet in Fortnite!”, May 7, 2018: https://www.fortnite.com/news/infinity-gauntlet?lang=en-US
- Epic Games / Fortnite, “Fortnite Endgame,” April 25, 2019: https://www.fortnite.com/news/fortnite-endgame?lang=en-US
- Paul Tassi, Forbes, “Fortnite’s New Black Widow Skin Is Live As Part Of Its ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Crossover Event,” April 25, 2019: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2019/04/25/fortnites-new-black-widow-skin-is-live-as-part-of-its-avengers-endgame-crossover-event/
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