- Drift Fortnite Skin Guide - August 28, 2022
The Drift skin is an iconic original concept from the creators of Fortnite, and a first in many things and, of course, a highly loved skin within the Fortnite community. The Drift skin was the first skin that I bought in Fortnite when I purchased the battle pass back during Fortnite chapter 1 season 5. To be honest, Drift was my first ever cosmetic purchase in any game; therefore, Drift has a very special place in my heart and a large amount of *cough* bias toward the Fox Clan. Before the events of the Cataclysmic world event at the end of Chapter 1, the most significant marketing tactic that Fortnite used was centered around the Drift Skin. We will touch on these details a little further along as the guide progresses; however, listed below would be a short list of topics that I will be touching on for this guide.
Fortnite Drift Skin Overview
The Drift skin gathered a lot of attention when it was first released, primarily because of the really exciting animation (pink/ purple lightning) around the Stage 5 version of the skin. It was a first for many Fortnite players because we did not have this aspect before, although Omega comes slightly close with his different colors. However, Drift was an instant hit with the fans because of his mysterious past, lightning-related clothing/ abilities, and personality. So in many ways than one, the Drift skin became an iconic, original, instant classic skin before the skins we know now came around.
There are many subtle details within the Drift skin and the complimentary accessories as well. When we take a closer look at the Drift skin (stage four and stage 5), we can see the structure of a Torii gate. A Torri gate is a gate that can be found outside Japanese shrines; this symbolizes a gateway from the regular world to the sacred space of a shrine. This is a really enriching way of integrating culture into the skin and game because, this way, the skin carries an excellent design and has meaning behind its design. The Torii gate could possibly represent the rift that brought Drift to the world of Fortnite from our own world, which I think is a really cool detail.
Continuing with the Japanese culture theme, we see Drift spray painting a Kitsune onto the Durr Burger head before the rift teleports him to the Fortnite world. In the season 5 battle pass, we obtained a Kitsune spray paint along with a Kitsune banner. To add on to the Kitsune theme, we see Drift acquiring a mask during stage 3, which is, of course, a Kitsune Mask. This Kitsune mask has the following:
- A white base with pink and gold used to design and bring the mask to life
- A lot of black outlining has been used to add depth and make the mask seem more realistic
- The eyes have a pink glow, which seems menacing yet soft at the same time
- The ears are not straight; instead, they are slightly curved as they ascend, giving a more realistic feeling
- The grooves in the mask add more depth; this accentuates the features of the mask
This entire ensemble makes the mask one of the most striking and attention-grabbing features on the Drift skin, making the skin more exciting and alluring.
The final stages of the Drift skin (stage 4 and stage 5) have a coat, the coat feels a little bulky, but it provides a very different feeling with the lightning. I personally love the concept; the pink lightning fits perfectly into the theme and enhances the glow from the eyes in the mask. As mentioned above, the coat has a Torii gate on the back which completes Drift’s story of how he adapted to life in the Fortnite world and finally tuned in to his new powers. The final stage reminds me of Naruto’s “Sage of Six Paths” mode, with both cases being a beacon of strength and potential in each other’s respective worlds.
Drift Skin Stages
Drift has five stages; each stage is achieved by gaining XP from quests, personal and co-op XP multipliers, and battles. Since Drift was only the third installation of the progressive skin set of characters, many players were still struggling to complete the Drift challenges due to the XP needs. The game developers received a large amount of feedback regarding the difficulty in completing the battle pass challenges for Omega (tier one hundred skin from season 4); therefore, they allowed players to complete the Drift challenges and Ragnarok challenges beyond season 5. This was an added bonus because this could mean that players who had trouble gaining XP during the season could opt to complete the challenges and receive the rewards in later seasons.
Base Drift
Unlocked at tier one of the season 5 battle pass upon the purchase of the battle pass
This stage is the base stage of Drift, the exact version of himself that was brought from our world to the Fortnite world.
Stage 1
Unlocked after obtaining 10,000 season XP
This is the first style that is unlocked; it simply adds an extra layer of clothing on top of Drift’s tank top, and he gains a tech body fit jumper.
Stage 2
Unlocked after obtaining 25,000 season XP
This is the second style that is unlocked; it adds yet another layer of clothing on top of the clothing on Drift’s torso, and he gains a red sleeveless bomber.
Stage 3
Unlocked after obtaining 50,000 season XP
This is the third style that is unlocked; it gives Drift his iconic mask and completes his outfit before the final touches are added in the last two stages. This stage is my favorite, I love how simple it is, and the mask adds to the allure of this stage.
Stage 4
Unlocked after obtaining 100,000 season XP
This is the fourth style that is unlocked; it gives Drift his coat along with his pickaxe, “Rift Edge,” which is unlocked automatically after unlocking any four stages of the Drift challenges.
Stage 5
Unlocked after obtaining 200,000 season XP
This is the fifth and final stage that is unlocked; it gives Drift his iconic pink/ purple lightning on his coat. At this stage, players have fully completed the Drift challenges, and now they should be able to fully assemble Drift’s outfit because Atmosphere and the Rift Edge will be unlocked.
How to Unlock the Fortnite Drift Skin
The Drift skin was a part of the chapter 1 season 5 battle pass; Drift was the tier one legendary skin, with Ragnarok cemented as the tier 100 legendary skin. When the Drift skin is unlocked, players obtain the “Drift challenges,” players must gather XP to unlock stages of the Drift skin (as I have noted above under each stage) and complete this set of challenges to obtain the “Rift Edge.” Rift Edge is the legendary pickaxe that Drift uses as he travels across the world of Fortnite; along with this, he also has his own back bling, “Atmosphere,” which came in season X along with Catalyst and additional cosmetics for the Drift set. Atmosphere is designed in the shape of a Torii gate, and it highly compliments the back of Drift’s stage four and stage five styles.
A recommended cosmetics set for the Drift Skin
The above cosmetics are a collection from both season 5 and season X of Fortnite. However, every player would not have all of the above cosmetics unless they were able to purchase both battle passes. Therefore, I would like to offer an alternative set that I believe would look good on Drift and make him seem extra menacing; for this, I will be using stage three Drift because he’s my favorite.
Can You Still Unlock Drift Today?
Since the Drift skin was a part of the chapter 1 season 5 battle pass, any players that missed the opportunity to purchase and complete the battle pass cannot get the original Drift skin anymore. Other variants of the Drift Skin were released; however, they are not the same as the original Drift skin. The variants are;
- Summer Drift (Frozen Legends Pack)
- Driftwalker (Graveyard Drift Quest Pack)
- Snow Drift (Summer Drift Bundle)
These variants are a good way for players to add more cosmetics to the Drift set as well, especially with Driftwalker’s and Summer Drift’s cosmetics. However, in the same way that Drift was remixed and introduced in season X as Catalyst (female Drift), we might see a remixed version of the original Drift himself in the future. Until then, players can save their v-bucks and hope for the best.
Best Alternative Skin Recommendations
Drift is the first member we met from Fortnite’s “Fox Clan,” the members of this clan are outlanders who were able to come to the world of Fortnite from other worlds. They entered the Fortnite world through rifts, similar to the rift that brought Drift. The Fox Clan is an exciting collection of characters, with more being added on as the game progresses. Below, we will be looking at alternative skins that are similar to Drift, and they are also direct variants of the original Drift skin.
Catalyst
Catalyst is the female version of Drift, and she was a part of the season X battle pass. Unlike Drift, however, she has two additional colors, so in total, she has three styles, and they are:
This remix was done in the season X battle pass, where we saw remixed versions of some OG characters. Similar to Drift, Catalyst was the tier one legendary character, and we received additional challenges in order to complete her additional styles and colors. Catalyst brought newer elements to the Drift set because when Drift was released, we did not have weapon skins or a customized glider for him; therefore, some of the accessories from Catalyst’s set can be used for Drift. This is great because there is a wider range of cosmetics available for Drift aside from his own black bling and pickaxe. Back bling
Summer Drift
Summer Drift is a highly sought option for Drift, mainly because he is literally just base Drift in his summer attire. Summer Drift has two styles, and they are basically just Drift with his shirt on and off. Although he was initially released as a Drift alternative, most of the more veteran members in the Fortnite community were upset because Drift was a battle pass exclusive skin from all the way back in season 5, so now that Summer Drift is out, it indirectly diminishes Drift’s legacy.
However, I do not see it this way, and in fact, I believe that it is an excellent addition to the Drift set, primarily because of the additional accessories. With the Summer Drift bundle, we also received a new pickaxe (Dual Edge, which in my opinion, is one of the coolest pickaxes in the game), a new back bling (Oozie), a weapon skin (Kitsune, which is also great because the original Drift did not have a weapon skin), and a glider (Driftstream, again a massive benefit because Drift did not have a glider).
Driftwalker
Driftwalker is probably my favorite Drift alternative, and I absolutely love the corrupted aesthetic that it has. The Driftwalker skin was remixed version of the Drift skin, and it has its own bundle pack similar to Summer Drift. The Graveyard Drift set contains a pickaxe (Corrupted Rift Edges, possibly my favorite pickaxe), a back bling (Broken Fractal Wings), and a glider (Corrupted Tendrils). This version of Drift is very different from the original Drift, and it has three different styles, and they are:
- Default
- Regal
- Stealth
The Stealth version is the best, in my opinion, mainly because I believe that the coat in the Regal version makes the skin seem bulky, as we can see with stage 4 and stage 5 in the original Drift skin. If this version is released again, I would highly recommend purchasing it because, in my opinion, it gives the player the Drift skin, but it also offers a completely different take on an already iconic character.
Snow Drift
Snow Drift is a part of the Frozen Legends series, a series where Fortnite released three Frozen versions of some legendary skins. Fortnite released this pack to help players who missed out on obtaining the original version of the Drift skin (Snow Drift), Wildcard skin (Frost Broker), and Stoneheart skin (Snowheart). Snow Drift comes with his own back bling (Icy Kitsune) and pickaxe (Glacial Rift Edges). Snow Drift is an excellent addition to the Drift skin pool, but the color scheme of his accessories is not compatible with the original Drift skin and the other Drift skin alternatives; however, they would look great with the Ragnarok skin and Valkyrie skin.
Vi
Vi is the leader of the Fox Clan; she is a part of the February 2021 Fortnite Crew Pack, which means that players will not be able to obtain her now. However, Vi is a very unique take on the Drift skin, and the most significant difference is that she does not have a Kitsune mask. Unlike Drift and Catalyst, although Vi is the leader of the Fox Clan, instead of having a Kitsune mask, she has an oversized Kitsune hoodie.
She can also summon extra rift lightning whenever another player is killed when the Vi skin is equipped, which makes her a reactive skin. She has a second outfit option, the “Arctic” skin, in this option, she has a blue attire, and she benefits from having Snow Drift’s cosmetic items. I personally think that the Icy Kitsune would look great on the Arctic version of Vi.
FAQs
Question: How rare is the Drift skin in Fortnite?
Answer: The Drift skin is rare; it is amongst some of the rarest skins because of how early it came in the game. Since Drift was the third progressive skin added to the game, a stage 5 Drift is relatively rare due to the amount of XP needed to obtain it (200,000 XP). However, as to whether it qualifies as an “OG” skin, it is difficult to say with mixed reactions from the community, but personally, I believe that it is an OG skin because it came out during the early stages of the game.
Question: What happened to Drift in Fortnite?
Answer: During the Rocket event in Fortnite, we see many rifts opening up and either making changes to the Fortnite map or making things disappear entirely. One such landmark that disappeared was the Durr Burger head, which was teleported to our world and it ended up in the California desert. Drift decides to spray paint a Kitsune on the Durr Burger head, and as soon as he completed the artwork, we saw a rift open up and bring the Durr Burger head back to Fortnite, and along with it, Drift was brought to Fortnite as well. This event introduced Drift as the tier one legendary character in the Fortnite season 5 battle pass.
Question: Will Drift come back to Fortnite in 2022?
Answer: No, the Drift skin will not be returning to Fortnite because it was a part of the battle pass all the way back in season 5 (yes, the one with Ragnarok). However, a potential second option was “Catalyst,” the female version of Drift, although, she was a part of the season X battle pass, and players would have missed the chance to get her as well if they did not purchase the season X battle pass. The third and final alternative option would be “Summer Drift,” a part of the Summer Drift bundle; this option might make a return in future updates.
Question: Who played Drift in the real life Fortnite season 5 trailer?
Answer: Tyler Osterkamp, in an announcement/ promotional video for season 5 of Fortnite, Tyler Osterkamp played “Drift” in real life. He could be seen spray painting the Durr burger head that landed in the California desert after a rift teleported it into our world. In my opinion, this was a brilliant marketing tactic because it piqued the curiosity of so many people, including myself and immediately hooked me onto the game.
Question: Are Brite Bomber and Drift together?
Answer: There has been no confirmation; however, we can see them spending time together on the loading screens from season 5. One particular loading screen shows a “BB+D” and a heart carved into a tree, although in a loading screen that popped up later, we saw a giant cross carved over the initial carving. However, more recently, in Chapter 2 season 3, during the 14 days of Summer event, we can see Brite Bomber and Drift hanging out and tanning at the beach in their summer outfits.
Conclusion
Drift is a beloved skin within the Fortnite community and one of the original Fortnite skins as well. Drift was the FIRST literal crossover before we got crossover skins from other tv shows, anime, and games. When Drift first came out the attention that he gathered was unlike anything we saw, and from my point of view, no other season of Fortnite could compare to the hype and energy surrounding chapter 1 season 5. The battle pass did not have much Drift related content; however, when Catalyst came out in season X, we were able to obtain a fair amount of cosmetics that can be used with Drift. The simple design and the rift lightning surrounding his coat were immediate indicators that Drift would go a long way in terms of popularity. As an added bonus, his romantic endeavors with Brite Bomber and his personality (which we saw through the Roadtrip loading screens) made him more likable.
Viral clips such as Muselk (wearing the Ragnarok skin) trying to save Chappadoodle (wearing the Drift skin) brought more attention and popularity to the Drift skin. Overall, I believe that Drift is an OG skin and that he deserves to be ranked amongst the top skins in Fortnite. The nostalgia and memories surrounding the Drift skin would be something that most veteran Fortnite players could bond over; for me, season 5 was my first full season of Fortnite, and whenever I equip the Drift skin, I remember how my friends and I used to run away whenever we would come across a Black Knight skin or when we would get in a golf cart and drive one friend into the ocean in an attempt to get on his nerves. Little details such as that are tied to my personal history with this skin, which to this day (almost four years later) still remains one of my favorite skins.
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