Before Fortnite gave us the Fortnite Crew membership, Epic Games toyed with the idea in 2019. Back then, the subscription was simply known as the Annual Pass, but it offered mostly the same features. It would have featured the Brilliant Bomber Fortnite skin, which became one of the rarest cosmetics in the game's history. We know it exists, but without certain exploits, you couldn't own it… until now.
In December 2019, Epic Games wasn't quite ready to launch its Fortnite Annual Pass. However, that didn't stop dataminers from finding it in the battle royale game's files. As a result, a company spokesperson announced plans to cancel it: "We've seen discussions around a 2020 Annual Pass as a result of datamining the v11.30 build […] Occasionally, prototype features make it into our build that end up not being released. While the 2020 Annual Pass was considered, we have no plans to release it."
Despite the arrival of Fortnite Crew, Epic Games never released the Brilliant Bomber skin properly, but some players could get it through exploits. Now, you can head to the Item Shop to find the skin, but it won't feature the Sunshine and Rainbows set. This is a bundle that includes the Brite Bomber, Brite Gunner, Beach Bomber, Brite Blast, and Brilliant Bomber characters, alongside several cosmetics. If you were hoping to collect all these skins at once, it could be a while, as this bundle hasn't existed in the game for a long time.
For just 1.2k V-Bucks, you can pick up Brilliant Bomber until Monday, June 1, 2026. Of course, it's likely to return to the Item Shop, but no one knows when Epic Games will decide to bring it back. While its reputation for rarity is cool, I don't think it's an incredibly exciting Fortnite skin, at least not for my locker. It is a nice reminder of the simpler days of the game, though, back when there were fewer modes and a streamlined focus on just pure BR mayhem.
I am curious to know why Epic Games is deciding now is the time to debut the Brilliant Bomber, though. Maybe that Sunshine and Rainbows set will get a release, or appear on a future Fortnite OG Battle Pass?
In the meantime, when you're not grabbing Fortnite codes, hop on over to the Pocket Tactics Discord to find a team to squad up with.