Fortnite x Dave the Diver: How to Claim the Free Skin

For players who prefer to buy the skin directly with V-Bucks or want an alternative to purchasing the game, the Dave outfit is expected to hit the Fortnite Item Shop on June 25, 2026. Community reports anticipate the rollout will begin at 5:00 PM Pacific (8:00 PM Eastern) on that date . An exact V-Bucks price has not yet been officially confirmed.

Epic's Broader Gaming Crossover Strategy

The Dave the Diver collaboration is not an isolated event; it represents a single node in a large-scale, multi-year plan by Epic Games to boost its storefront. In its 2025 year-in-review, Epic formally announced a program to reward players with exclusive Fortnite cosmetics for buying selected third-party games . The company has confirmed plans for over 40 such gaming collaborations in 2026, scaling up to over 60 in 2027 .

Epic Games Store General Manager Steve Allison noted that the strategy was partly inspired by the effectiveness of Valve's iconic Team Fortress 2 hats in driving platform engagement . While some early community leaks speculated about an ambition to reach up to 100 annual partnerships, the official confirmed target from Epic to The Verge is approximately 40 for 2026 .

Early rollouts of this program preceded the Dave the Diver deal. Players who pre-purchased Resident Evil Requiem received the Grace Ashcroft outfit, and those who bought Crimson Desert unlocked the Kliff skin . The program's first half of 2026 includes a diverse list of partners, from Capcom to miHoYo .

The Unlikely Hit: What is Dave the Diver?

Dave the Diver is a 2023 video game developed and published by Mintrocket, a subsidiary of Nexon . It stands out for its genre-blending core gameplay loop. By day, players control the portly protagonist Dave as he explores a mysterious underwater region known as the Blue Hole, catching fish and battling threats. By night, the game shifts to a management simulator where Dave runs a sushi restaurant using his daily catch .

The game was a breakout critical and commercial success thanks to its charming pixel art, humor, and surprisingly deep hybrid mechanics. It has previously embraced a variety of high-profile crossovers. A free, limited-time DLC in 2024 brought Godzilla into the game . Another notable partnership was with DREDGE, the Lovecraftian fishing horror game, which added its own spooky questline and content . Other collaborative DLCs include Ichiban's Holiday, featuring a character from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series .