Fortnite is set to launch its next season, titled "Overdrive," on August 20th, bringing a theme centered around legendary video games. The upcoming season will introduce a roster of characters in the battle pass that pay homage to various gaming franchises, alongside a formally sanctioned appearance by Sonic the Hedgehog.
The "Overdrive" battle pass will feature original characters inspired by well-known gaming universes. Among these are Bastion, a Link-like figure; K1TTYW1NS, a racer reminiscent of Mario Kart characters; Wrixel, a blocky character evoking Minecraft; and Grace Crowne, a soldier with a Lara Croft aesthetic. The pass also includes Mali, a fighter styled after Mortal Kombat characters, and Phantom, a soldier in the vein of Call of Duty.
Adding to the lineup is a Sega-approved Sonic the Hedgehog skin. This version of the character is distinct from the original, with official Fortnite lore explaining that this playable Sonic, along with Knuckles and Shadow, is an android imbued with their bio-data. The narrative context for these crossovers stems from a recent live event where the game's reality was rebooted using video game cheat codes, leading to the Zero Point being replaced by a giant video game cartridge.
While many popular franchises were teased during the live event, including Crash Bandicoot, Kingdom Hearts, Persona, Tetris, Pac-Man, and Mega Man, the battle pass primarily focuses on these original, parody-inspired characters. Actual licensed characters are typically featured in a more limited capacity within the battle pass, with many such collaborations often appearing in the game's shop.
Players will have until August 20th to complete their current battle pass and acquire remaining in-game items before the new season begins.