How to get the LeBron James Fortnite skin

July 14, 2021

by Andrew Kulp

As video game-pop culture crossovers go, there are few bigger so far in 2021 than the addition of basketball legend LeBron James to Fortnite. In fact, the ability to play as the four-time NBA champion and star of Warner Bros.' upcoming movie, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” -- in theaters this weekend -- could even lead some people to try the free title from Epic Games for the first time.

Considering there are over 350 million registered Fortnite accounts, that might sound far-fetched. If it is somehow the case that you don’t play Fortnite, or if you've only booted up the game on a handful of occasions, you might be wondering how exactly one gets to play as King James.

The good news is it's pretty simple. The bad news is this is where Fortnite ceases to be "free." But if you're a LeBron fan or simply a collector of Fortnite skins who has to add this DLC to your collection, here's how everything works.

What the LeBron James skin looks like

The LeBron James Gear Bundle is scheduled for release on Wednesday, July 14, at 8 p.m. ET.

What will be available for purchase at that time is actually a package of four original LeBron James skins: two variations of James in sunglasses wearing a sport coat with lion shoulder pads over a hoodie and a crown floating above his head; James wearing his Tune Squad uniform from the new Space Jam sequel; and James wearing a Taco Tuesday T-shirt (if you have to ask, a quick Google search should explain). Each skin features its own unique spin on his signature shoe, the Nike LeBron 19, while the package also includes accessories such as a lion pickaxe and a special celebration dubbed “The Silencer.”

As far as cost is concerned, Epic Games chose to omit that information from the announcement. Based on previous DLCs, however, it's probably safe to say the LeBron skins could be in the range of $15-20.

And for the truly uninitiated, there are actually three ways to play Fortnite, but all are variations of an online third-person shooter. The PvP game mode, Fortnite Battle Royale (by far the most popular of the bunch) and there's also a PvE cooperative experience, Fortnite: Save the World, as well as Fortnite Creative, a Minecraft-style sandbox. The LeBron DLC is availabale for any of them.

How to get the LeBron James Fortnite DLC

Now for the easy part: opening your wallet.

The process is not quite as straightforward as entering your credit card information, as you'll first be required to purchase V-Bucks. Fortunately, they can be purchased in-game.

First, navigate the GUI menu to "Item Shop" to figure out how much you'll need, then head over to the "V-Bucks" tab. There, you might be presented with a scenario where you are forced to buy a package with more V-Bucks than the cost of the LeBron DLC -- but that's more of a personal quandary than a question for this guide. Once you have V-Bucks, you can go back into the Item Shop and complete the transaction.

To make sure your preferred LeBron James outfit and accessories are equipped, switch over to the "Locker" tab. Once customized to your liking, the 17-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is ready to try his hand at a different type of shooting than what he's known for.

Lead image credit: Psyonix