Epic Games Store GM Acknowledges Team Fortress Hats as Inspiration for Fortnite’s New Crossovers, Including Crimson Desert Skin Offer

Epic Games Store’s general manager, Steve Allison, has revealed that the latest wave of gift-with-purchase collaborations in Fortnite draws inspiration from Team Fortress 2.

In the past, Epic has provided bonuses in Fortnite for purchasing games from its store. A notable example from 2023 was the inclusion of Alan Wake as a character in Fortnite for those who bought Alan Wake 2. However, it seems that Epic is ramping up its gifting initiatives in 2026, with players already looking forward to collaborations like Resident Evil: Requiem, which will feature a Grace Ashcroft skin, and Crimson Desert, offering a Kliff skin.

Allison shared details about the Kliff skin on Twitter, stating, “This is among the first of many Fortnite crossovers led by the Epic Games Store team granted as a gift with purchase,” and mentioned that the campaign aims to expand to over 100 partnerships annually. He noted, “This program was conceived to help developers sell more games.”

In response to this announcement, a user pointed out the resemblance to Valve’s past practices with Team Fortress 2, where Steam provided incentives for buying games like Alien Isolation and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, while other titles rewarded players with items for completing in-game tasks.

Allison acknowledged this influence, saying, “Definitely inspired by exactly that.” He recounted his time at Telltale Games, where they frequently offered TF hats as gifts with purchases, which consistently boosted their games into the top 5 sellers for a couple of weeks. He added, “We tested this a lot late in 2025, and the lifts to partners’ sales were impressive, just like what we experienced back in the day.”

Epic’s gifting strategy aims to create a win-win situation, potentially increasing sales for partner games while giving Fortnite players access to new loot. This approach might also encourage players to consider major third-party titles like Resident Evil: Requiem on the Epic Games Store, which has faced some stigma in the past.