
The crossover taps into Solo Leveling's massive global fanbase, promising fresh revenue streams and heightened player engagement for Fortnite. It also signals Epic Games' continued strategy of leveraging pop‑culture IPs to stay culturally relevant.
Fortnite’s partnership with Solo Leveling reflects a broader industry shift toward integrating globally popular anime franchises into live‑service games. Solo Leveling, originally a Korean web‑novel turned manhwa and now a hit anime, has cultivated a dedicated international following. By aligning with this property, Epic Games not only taps into an engaged community but also diversifies its content pipeline beyond Western pop culture, reinforcing the platform’s appeal to younger, digitally native audiences.
The mechanics of Solo Leveling—an endless leveling system and shadow army—present unique opportunities for in‑game innovation. Epic could translate Jin‑Woo’s "system" into dynamic abilities, offering players novel combat options that differentiate the crossover from previous collaborations. Such gameplay integration can boost player retention, as fans experiment with new strategies while collectors chase limited‑edition skins. Moreover, the inclusion of supporting characters like Beru and Igris expands the cosmetic catalog, driving microtransaction revenue during the launch window.
From a business perspective, the collaboration underscores Epic’s monetization model that leverages cultural zeitgeists to sustain Fortnite’s profitability. Past anime tie‑ins have generated spikes in player counts and in‑app purchases, validating the approach. As the gaming market becomes increasingly saturated, strategic IP partnerships like Solo Leveling enable Fortnite to maintain relevance, attract cross‑media advertising, and potentially explore co‑branded events or merchandise, reinforcing its position as a cultural hub within the battle‑royale genre.
Fortnite's next anime crossover, Solo Leveling, teased by Epic Games
By Isaac Rouse
Published Feb 16, 2026, 12:43 PM EST

Image: A1 Pictures
It sounds like Sung Jin‑Woo will be making a last‑minute dive into Jegu Island — err, I mean, The Golden Coast, as Epic Games is currently teasing a Solo Leveling collaboration with Fortnite.
The battle royale’s social‑media handle on X teased the collaboration by outlining the anime’s overall premise. “The weakest Hunter of all mankind. E‑rank. No potential. No future…” the post says. On Instagram Stories, the Fortnite handle also teased the question, “If you were given another path, would you accept?” The text is posted behind a very Solo Leveling‑influenced backdrop surrounded by a blue aura, and the text itself teases how Jin‑Woo gains his powers.
If you’re wondering what the hell Jin‑Woo and Solo Leveling are, allow me to explain: Solo Leveling is an anime based on a very successful Korean manhwa of the same name by Chugong and artist Jang Sung‑Rak. It follows a hunter named Jin‑woo, who comes from a world where mysterious “Gates” connect Earth to monster‑filled dungeons, and certain humans awaken as Hunters with ranked abilities to fight them. Jin‑Woo, once the weakest E‑rank Hunter, gains a unique power called the “System” after surviving a deadly double‑dungeon expedition. Unlike other Hunters, he can level up infinitely, grow stronger without limits, and use his abilities to extract and command fallen enemies as his own shadow army.
That last bit about his powers is where the collaboration comes into play. Alongside skins for Jin‑Woo, Fortnite leaker account HypeX (who notes the collab is expected this week) speculates that skins for Beru or Igris, two allies from Jin‑Woo’s shadow army, will be available, as well as fellow Hunter Cha Hae‑in. Fortnite is no stranger when it comes to anime collaborations (e.g., Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Bleach, etc.), and Epic Games usually finds pretty nifty ways to incorporate abilities and iconography from the franchise into the game. It will also be interesting to see how Jin‑Woo’s somewhat broken ability and the equipment he’s earned are applied to the skin, or whether those powers can manifest in‑game.
Look out for the official announcement when it arises because it’s looking pretty promising. Fortnite’s next big collab is with Solo Leveling. You should watch it while you can; the first season is good, but season 2 from last year was so great that it made the list of the greatest anime of 2025.
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