Gaming Guide

Fortnite: How to Get the Kernel Hearts ‘Fernet’ Skin for Free

Pre-purchase Kernel Hearts on the Epic Games Store with your Fortnite account to claim the Fernet Outfit at no extra cost.

Pre-purchase Kernel Hearts on the Epic Games Store with your Fortnite account to claim the Fernet Outfit at no extra cost.

Fernet, the captain of the M.A.H.O.U. Squad in the roguelike action RPG Kernel Hearts, is now available as an outfit in Fortnite. You can add her to your locker without spending any V-Bucks, but the free route is tied to buying the game through the Epic Games Store.

Quick answer: Pre-purchase or buy Kernel Hearts on the Epic Games Store using the same Epic Games account you play Fortnite with, and the Fernet Outfit is added to your Fortnite locker.

The Fernet Outfit from Kernel Hearts shown as a Fortnite character skin
Image: Epic Games

What you need before claiming Fernet

The offer is a gift-with-purchase, so the reward only lands in the right place if a few conditions line up. Check each of these before you buy.

RequirementDetail
StoreEpic Games Store (app or website)
AccountSame Epic Games account you use for Fortnite
PurchasePre-purchase or buy Kernel Hearts ($19.99)
Offer windowLive since August 17 at 1:00 PM ET, continuing after the September 17, 2026 launch

During the pre-purchase window, buying Kernel Hearts on the Epic Games Store is the only way to get the Fernet Outfit in Fortnite. If you use a different Epic account for the purchase, the skin goes to that account instead of the one you play on.


Claim the Fernet skin free through the Epic Games Store

Open the Epic Games Store through the desktop app or the website in your browser, and sign in with the account linked to your Fortnite progress.
Type Kernel Hearts into the search bar and open the game’s store listing.
Pre-purchase or buy the base game for $19.99 and complete the checkout.
Launch Fortnite and open your locker to equip Fernet. The outfit is granted to your account right after the purchase goes through.

How to confirm the skin worked

The Fernet Outfit appears in your Fortnite locker immediately after the Epic Games Store purchase completes. If you open the locker and the skin is there, the reward has registered correctly. There is no separate code to redeem.

If it does not show up, the most common cause is buying the game on a different Epic Games account than the one tied to Fortnite. In that case the outfit will have been delivered to the account used at checkout, not the one you play on.


Refunds and how long the offer lasts

The free outfit is linked to owning the game. If you refund Kernel Hearts, the Fernet Outfit is removed from your Fortnite locker. As long as the game remains on sale through the Epic Games Store, there is no expiration date on the free skin.

QuestionAnswer
When is Fernet added to my locker?Immediately after the purchase completes
Does the free skin expire?No, while Kernel Hearts is for sale on the Epic Games Store
If I refund the game?The Fernet Outfit is removed from your locker

Buy Fernet in the Fortnite Item Shop instead

If you would rather skip the game and pay with V-Bucks, Fernet is also coming to the Item Shop. The outfit joins the Fortnite Shop on September 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET, priced at 1,500 V-Bucks.

Open Fortnite and head to the Item Shop.
Browse the shop tabs until you find the Kernel Hearts Fernet outfit.
Select the outfit, then press and hold the purchase button to spend your V-Bucks and finish the transaction.
Open your locker to equip the skin.

Kernel Hearts itself launches on September 17, 2026 for PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, so buying the game gives you both the skin and the full title once it releases.