The FNCS Axe of Champions 1.0 is coming to Fortnite on September 4!

Matthew "MJP" Pryor

Matthew "MJP" Pryor

The OG Fortnite FNCS Axe of Champions (1.0) is coming to the Item Shop on Sept. 4. for the first time in history!

Fortnite's Axe of Champions was once the rarest and most coveted item in the entire game. Back in Chapter 2, only the Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) winners across all regions would receive and wield the Axe of Champions 1.0 for an entire season until the following Grand Finals.

Precisely one year after Epic Games released the second iteration of the Axe to the masses, players will have the rare opportunity to acquire the OG Axe of Champions for the first time.

The Axe of Champions 1.0 will arrive in Fortnite on September 4

Sept. 4 is a day you should mark on your calendar, especially for the Fortnite collectors out there. On that day at 8 p.m. ET, the OG Axe of Champions will drop into the Item Shop. This will be the first time Epic Games has made this rare cosmetic item available to all players.

One caveat to mention is that Epic Games handed out codes for the Axe of Champions 1.0 to attendees at the FNCS Pro-Am this past May. Many of these codes became available only following the event through giveaways or second-hand markets.

Sure enough, exactly one year after Epic Games released the second FNCS Pickaxe in the Item Shop, the first iteration will grace players with its presence.

What makes the first FNCS Pickaxe so special?

We touched on this briefly earlier, but it's worth reiterating that this was one of the rarest cosmetics in Fortnite for an entire Chapter. Only the best teams or players in each season would earn the reward following a victory in the Fortnite Champion Series.

It became more widely available at the Pro-Am, and any semblance of its rarity will soon evaporate once Sept. 4 arrives. This is a moment many players have waited for, and it's one that collectors won't want to miss.

Based on the Axe of Champions 2.0, it launched initially in September 2024 and has resurfaced four times over the last 11 months. We expect a similar release pattern with the OG FNCS Pickaxe, with Epic Games re-releasing it sparingly.

How much will the Pickaxe cost?

Epic Games priced the second Axe of Champions at 1,200 V-Bucks. There's no reason to believe the 1.0 version will cost any more or less. Although it may seem pricey, we've outlined exactly why this is one of the most desired cosmetics in Fortnite.

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