Following a bunch of sports-themed Fortnite crossovers over the past few years – like ones based on footballer Neymar, the NFL, and Liverpool football club – Fortnite’s getting another sporty in-game bash. North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) is the next on the battle royale game’s list of sporty tie-ins, and this crossover brings a five-day contest which features all 30 NBA teams and a bunch of new in-game rewards.
Called Fortnite x NBA: The Crossover, the event kicks off this very day (May 19) and runs through to May 23. The headline of the event is the five-day-long competition called Fortnite x NBA Team Battles, which gets players to sign up and ‘join’ their favourite NBA team in order to complete challenges and nab some rewards.
But, it’s worth noting you’ll have to be quick about it if you want to get stuck in – you can sign up to nab either a ‘member’ or a ‘fan’ spot, with the former being limited to just 15,000 places per team and latter only open to the first 500,000 players that sign up, after which time fan sign-ups will close.
The way the event works is by first up getting players – members and fans alike – to complete challenge tasks over the first three days of the competition. Completing tasks lets you unlock an in-game ‘Spin!’ spray and banner. From May 22-23, Team Battles leaderboards go live. “Follow your team’s Challenge Tasks and leaderboard progress on the site,” Epic Games explains in a press release. “The higher your team positions among the teams of the same group, the better the chance you have of earning V Bucks and an additional reward – the ‘NBA Championship Trophy’ Back Bling.”
As for the rewards on offer when the event comes to a close, here’s what’s on the table for the in-game event:
- Members of the #1 ranked NBA team get 500 V-bucks plus a Fortnite NBA Championship trophy in-game cosmetic back bling
- Fans on #1 ranked NBA team get a Fortnite NBA Championship trophy in-game cosmetic back bling
- Members on the #2 ranked NBA team get 300 V-bucks
- Members on the #3 ranked NBA team get 100 V-bucks
- Completing three challenge tasks (members and fans) gets you the Fortnite ‘Spin!’ in-game cosmetic spray
- Completing five challenge tasks (members and fans) gets you a Fortnite in-game cosmetic banner
You can head to the Fortnite x NBA Team Battles site for full terms of participation and details on the event.
Lace up… The Crossover is going to knock you off your feet 🏀
For the first time ever the @NBA is joining Fortnite! Read our blog for info about the new cosmetic set, Player Lockers and more.
🔗: https://t.co/qcXVA7Vxat pic.twitter.com/IjdGCdnNA5
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) May 19, 2021
Alongside the event itself, there are also NBA-themed outfits and other goodies coming to the game. “Debuting on May 21, 2021 at 8pm ET, players can suit up and rep any of the league’s 30 teams,” Epic explains. “The In The Paint Set includes 31 uniforms, including all 30 NBA teams.” There’s also a ‘Shoot and Score’ pack including a Hookshot emote and Mini Hoop back bling which can feature the logos of all 30 NBA teams, and more. You can find out the full details on Fortnite’s site at that link.