Fortnite players have found an unexpected way to make money thanks to a new feature in Chapter 7 Season 3. With the introduction of Sprites, Epic Games added collectible creatures that can be found and traded across the community. While the system was designed as a fun collecting activity, some players have already turned it into a marketplace, selling rare Sprites for real money online.
The trend has gained traction over the past few days as collectors hunt for the rarest variants. As it turns out, some Fortnite players are willing to spend cash rather than rely on luck, creating an unofficial economy around the game’s most adorable collectibles.
Fortnite Sprites are quite popular on eBay and other online markets
The demand for Sprites comes down to one thing: rarity. While many variants can be obtained relatively easily, a handful of special Sprites are owned by only a tiny percentage of players. Community tracking websites show that the rarest variants have ownership rates that rival some of Fortnite’s rarest cosmetics.
The Gummy Zero Point Sprite is currently one of the rarest collectibles in the game, with an ownership rate of just 0.006%. Other ultra-rare variants include the Gummy Punk Sprite at 0.014% ownership, while both the Gummy King Sprite and Gummy Demon Sprite sit at approximately 0.03%. The rarer Sprites are, the more they cost.
The Golden Zero Point Sprite, which is owned by under 0.5% of players, is listed on eBay for $500. Many Sprites have been sold in the $20 to $100 range, and it won’t be surprising if some of them go for thousands.
The situation is particularly unusual because Fortnite has never had a major player-driven collectible economy. While rare accounts and cosmetics have been sold unofficially for years, Sprites are one of the first in-game features that allow players to actively hunt, trade, and collect items with measurable rarity.
Epic’s response to Sprites listings
Cat McCormack, spokesperson at Epic Games, reached out to us to clarify that buying and selling gameplay items like Sprites puts players at risk for scams and violates Epic’s rules. The game developer is actively working with platforms to remove these listings.
The spokesperson also revealed that players will get more opportunities to collect Spirtes as the season progresses.
In the meantime, players can unlock a couple of free Fortnite skins or use some of the best XP maps to quickly level up and unlock more cosmetics from the Battle Pass.
