Epic Games launched its Kernel Hearts collaboration on August 17, 2026, and it comes with a free outfit for players who buy the upcoming game early. Fortnite’s Chapter 7 Season 4 “Override” launch on August 20 has fueled datamined “Gaming Legends” rumors, but this reward doesn’t wait for the new season. It’s live now, tied to Kernel Hearts’ pre-purchase window on the Epic Games Store.
Fernet, the protagonist and captain of the M.A.H.O.U. Squad in Kernel Hearts, joins Fortnite as Ephemera Games becomes the first Latin American studio in Epic’s marketing partnership program. The outfit costs nothing extra if you already plan to buy the $19.99 game, and it beats the September 26 Item Shop release, which charges 1,500 V-Bucks for the same skin.
Here’s the exact process to claim Fernet for free, plus what to know before you buy.
Steps to Get the Fernet Skin for Free in Fortnite
- Open the Epic Games Store on desktop or the Epic app.
- Search for Kernel Hearts and open its store page.
- Sign in with the same Epic Games account linked to your Fortnite account.
- Purchase or pre-purchase the game for $19.99.
- Launch Fortnite and open your locker. The Fernet outfit appears automatically once the purchase completes.
No code redemption is required. The skin unlocks the moment the transaction goes through, tied to your Epic account rather than a specific platform.
When the Free Offer Started and Ends
The pre-purchase reward went live on August 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET (10:00 AM PT). Epic hasn’t set an end date. It stays active while Kernel Hearts remains available for pre-purchase or purchase on the Epic Games Store, spanning the game’s September 17, 2026 launch and beyond.
Skip the free route, and Fernet becomes a standalone purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop starting September 26, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT), priced at 1,500 V-Bucks.
Important Things to Know Before You Buy
- Same account required. The Fernet outfit unlocks only on the Epic Games account used for the Kernel Hearts purchase. Buying on a different account won’t grant the skin to your main Fortnite account.
- Refunds remove the skin. An Epic Games Store refund reverses the Kernel Hearts purchase and pulls the Fernet outfit from your locker.
- Cross-platform release, single unlock method. Kernel Hearts releases on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, but the free Fernet outfit ties specifically to the Epic Games Store purchase, not console storefronts. It follows a similar model to the Forsworn Trooper, which links a Fortnite skin to a purchase made outside the game itself.
About Kernel Hearts and Fernet
Kernel Hearts is a multiplayer co-op roguelike action RPG from Ephemera Games, an Argentinian studio, published by Whitethorn Games. Up to four players climb the Tower of Babel as members of the M.A.H.O.U. Unit, fighting to save a world buried in ash. Fernet leads that unit and represents the game’s Argentinian identity, a detail Ephemera Games has highlighted while becoming the first Latin American developer in Epic’s promotional program. Kernel Hearts launches September 17, 2026, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Fortnite has leaned into anime and game-inspired collabs all year. Our roundup of every Fortnite anime skin covers how Kernel Hearts stacks up against past crossovers.
Final Thoughts
The Fernet giveaway gives Kernel Hearts a head start with Fortnite’s audience ahead of its September 17 launch, and it sets a precedent for indie studios entering Epic’s cross-promotion program. Expect more character skins, back blings, and cosmetics tied to the M.A.H.O.U. Unit once the game ships and the collaboration expands in the Item Shop.
Fernet is a Fortnite outfit based on the protagonist of Kernel Hearts, a co-op roguelike RPG from Ephemera Games. She leads the M.A.H.O.U. Unit in the game’s story.
Two. Pre-purchase or buy Kernel Hearts on the Epic Games Store for a free unlock, or wait for the standalone purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop for 1,500 V-Bucks starting September 26, 2026.
Yes, as of August 18, 2026. The offer runs while Kernel Hearts is available for purchase on the Epic Games Store, with no confirmed end date yet.
Yes. An Epic Games Store refund reverses the purchase and removes the outfit from your Fortnite locker.
Epic runs several gift-with-purchase and no-cost promotions at once. Check our guide on free Fortnite skins available right now for other current methods.
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