Tottenham Hotspur Captain, Korean football icon, and now a video game cosmetic.
The Son Heung-min Fortnite skin will be jumping out of the Battle Bus during Chapter 6 Season 3.
Incentivising engagement through regional icons
As explained by the CEO of Epic Games Korea, Epic Games identified a need to better engage with Korean culture in Fortnite.
“We started discussing the direction with the headquarters two years ago, and we thought that we should do a good job of incorporating Korean culture, such as K-pop, which people around the world are crazy about, into the game.”
Park Sung-chul, CEO of Epic Games Korea
Son Heung-min is the ideal celebrity to begin integrating more Korean influence into the Battle Royale game. Following his success and tenure in the UK Premier League, he has become one of the most popular national figures in Korea.
The decision to include Son Heung-min in Fortnite also comes three weeks after he captained Tottenham Hotspur to their Europa League win.
Epic Games may be able to capitalise on this recent success, embracing the football star after such a significant moment in his career.
When can you expect to find the Son Heung-min Fortnite skin in the store?
The Son Heung-min Fortnite skin is expected to be available in the Fortnite store on June 21st, 2025. The character’s skin will likely be available as part of a bundle, as is seen in most Icon Series drops.
Fortnite locker bundles usually cost between 1,900 and 2,500 V-Bucks.
Will other Korean icons be available in the Fortnite store?
Currently, Son Heung-min is the only icon to gain a Fortnite skin in this initiative. However, Epic Games clearly intends to embrace more Korean cultural references.
Skins aside, Korean K-pop fans need not worry about being excluded from this initiative. New Jam Tracks featuring K-pop artists are also joining the Fortnite store, including music from BTS members Jungkook and Jimin.
Additionally, Epic Games may introduce K-pop Fortnite skins in the future.
On April 8th, Sabrina Carpenter’s Fortnite skin launched into the game. The cosmetic became so popular that it launched its own trend.
Thanks to an update allowing other players to join dance emotes in synchronisation, players wearing Sabrina Carpenter cosmetics would dance together mid-game, often refusing to eliminate one another.
The trend even sparked complaints around competitive integrity. The “Sabrinas” would sometimes unite to work as a team, eliminating others unfairly.
Hopefully, the Son Heung-min Fortnite skin does not trigger the same controversy.
The footballer may take the privilege of being the first cosmetic utilised to connect with the Korean market. However, it is unlikely he will be the last.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
