Fortnite Sprite Garden & Chapter 7 Season 4 'Override'

Chapter 7 Season 3 'Runners' — the season that introduced Sprites — ends on August 19, 2026. The big question all season was whether Sprites were a one-off gimmick. Epic has now answered it: Sprites are staying. They return in Chapter 7 Season 4 'Override', which launches August 20, 2026, and they're getting a permanent home called the Sprite Garden.

Override is live — launch timeline

• 2 AM ET, August 20 — v42.00 downtime began.
• 6 AM ET / 10:00 UTC, August 20 — servers returned and Season 4 'Override' went live with the Battle Pass.
• August 21 — the Sprite Garden opened (a few hours late): Discovery menu or island code 4220-9404-7987, where Epic says Season 3 Sprites are immortalized.
• August 22 — Golden Hours (2–4 PM and 9–11 PM ET) activate the Gold variants.
• Now — we're verifying the new roster's rarities and drop data in-game; the checklist gains the Season 4 generation as soon as it's solid.

The 12 launch Sprites — official abilities (v42.00 notes)

Epic's v42.00 update notes confirm all twelve launch Sprites with official ability wording (Storm Scout remains outlet-reported). Two have unusual leveling rules worth knowing before you equip them:

• Sonic Sprite — sprint faster (plus the Spin Dash shown in the trailer).
• Tails Sprite — hover with the help of Tails.
• Shadow Sprite — automatically reload weapons over time, even when unequipped.
• Jackrabbit Sprite — perform another jump while mid-air.
• Klombo Sprite — grants random items at each level; levels up ONLY by using Health/Shield consumables.
• 8-Bit Sprite — find an 8-Bit Shotgun in your first Chest and gain a score multiplier for it.
• Crown Sprite — gain extra Crown Wins after a Victory Royale; levels up ONLY by winning matches.
• Adventure Sprite — upgrade a random item in your inventory at each Level.
• Bush Sprite — spawns a Bush on you after a duration; at max Level, gain a Bush on elimination.
• Jonesy Sprite — after a short duration, recover some Health or Shield after being damaged.
• Killswitch Sprite — enter Hangtime with improved accuracy.
• Storm Scout Sprite — triggers Overdrive from storm damage; reveals future circles when maxed (reported).

With variants the launch collection counts 36 entries: 12 base Sprites plus 12 Gold variants (activating with the Gold Hours Power Hour on August 22) plus 12 of a brand-new variant type, Cheat Master (debut timing unconfirmed). None of these are in our tracked dataset yet — they'll be added with verified abilities, rarities and drop data the day the season is live. The five Design-a-Sprite winners come later, mid-season, so the launch roster and the season roster are not the same thing.

The trailer also features Sidekicks — and unlike the Sprites, these are not a new system. Sidekicks are Fortnite's existing companion cosmetic type, introduced back in November 2025 (the banana puppy Peels was the first, in that season's Battle Pass): per Epic's own announcement they are purely cosmetic with 'no competitive advantage', customizable when first acquired (permanent once finalized, though names and accessories stay changeable), and they earn Sidekick Points toward hats and outfits by playing alongside you. Override simply adds gaming-legend Sidekicks to that line: Spyro is shown in the trailer (tied to the Crash crossover), and dataminers have spotted Tails, Rush (Mega Man's dog), Pac-Man and Morgana (Persona 5). Practical upshot for collectors: Sidekicks are Item Shop/pass cosmetics, not extractable collectibles — they don't join this checklist. One early report described the Tails Sidekick 'magnetizing items', which conflicts with Epic's no-advantage rule; treat that as unverified. Tails also appears separately as a Sprite (hover), which is the version we track.

Variants: Gold + the new Cheat Master line at launch

The launch reveal counts two variant lines: Gold (12, switching on with the Gold Hours Power Hour on August 22) and a brand-new variant type called Cheat Master (12, debut timing unconfirmed). Golden Hours run in two windows on August 22 — 2–4 PM and 9–11 PM ET. Epic also notes Sprite Dust reduces summon costs for rare variants, and Lobby Hack promo codes can award variants directly. An earlier FNBRIntel datamine said all seven Season 3 lines eventually return — Gummy, Galaxy, Gem, Holofoil, Cube and Quack aren't in the launch count, so treat those as later-season and leak-level until verified. Officially confirmed alongside that: every Sprite gets a visual redesign, from hovering companion to a blocky, backpack-style cube look that matches the season's gaming-legends aesthetic.

New season mechanics

• Lobby Hacks — redemption codes entered from the lobby. 16 are live at launch, including four that grant Cheat Master Sprites outright (GottaGoFast, IWannaFlyHigh, 8BitBlast, Born2Play), four worth 2,000 Sprite Dust each, and Gizmo bundles — the full mapped list lives on our Season 4 hub.
• Override Consoles / Match Hacks — the first player to reach an in-match console flips a server-wide rule (Sonic Speed, Infinite Stamina, Big Loot — 10+ confirmed); cartridge hacks with Tetris, Sonic and Mortal Kombat flavors were shown in the trailer.
• Sprite Dust returns as the Season 4 leveling currency (Season 3 balances reset at the flip).
• Green Hill Zone, Pac-Man Island, Stone Sanctum, Epic Mega Arcade, Reality's Reign and Sunken Shores join the map.
• Geno returns as the season's boss, teaming with Dr. Eggman as gaming worlds collide.
• Collector QoL (official v42.00 notes): an in-match indicator shows whether you've already collected a Sprite, names appear when you're near one, summoning is faster and cheaper for rare Sprites/variants, and Sprites join Ranked with gameplay powers disabled.

What is the Sprite Garden?

In Epic's own words, the Sprite Garden is "an island getaway where you can play with your Sprites, visit friends' garden sanctuaries, and showcase your entire collection." It's a dedicated space away from the Battle Royale island where your Sprites live, not just a menu screen. As you collect new Sprites in Season 4, they're added to your Garden automatically.

It's open now (since August 21). Enter from the Discovery menu in the lobby, or use island code 4220-9404-7987 — make sure the tile says 'created by epicgames' before loading in, because copycat islands exist. In-game it's a non-combat space for up to 4 players, each with their own garden: your Sprites from Season 3 onward sit on display pedestals, and you can build up to four Sprite Homes. There's no trading and no PvP — it's a pure collection showcase.

How to build your Sprite Garden (step by step)

When you first load in, an NPC guide named Jade walks you through setup — and it's quick, mostly a matter of pressing the interact button where the game prompts. The build loop runs like a cozy life-sim:

• Build a Sprite Home on an available Building Site — pick a plot and place your first home.
• Upgrade the home by stepping on its building pad — standing on the pad levels the structure up.
• Furnish it — add furniture so, in the game's words, 'your Sprite will feel more comfortable'.
• Repeat across up to four homes and decorate the surrounding garden.

Confirmed by GameRant's hands-on and Epic's island listing: the space holds up to 4 players (each with their own garden), your collected Sprites appear on display pedestals, and it's purely cosmetic — no combat, trading or PvP.

What dataminers found inside (leak — not yet confirmed)

Dataminer unrealhybrid surfaced a fuller first look (via GamingBible) before launch. Treat these as datamined until you see them in-game: four islands arranged around a central Sprite Shrine; buildable structures including bathhouses, dojos, greenhouses, spas, tea houses and arenas; and three biomes — mountain, cave and beach — that Jade guides you across. The overall vibe is openly Pokémon-Pokopia-like, a relaxation-first corner of Fortnite unlike anything the game has shipped before.

What happens to your Chapter 7 Season 3 Sprites?

Your Runners-season collection carries over — but the way you use it changes. Epic says Season 3 Sprites will "live on" through cosmetics and your collection page rather than staying in the Battle Royale loadout pool. Early reporting notes they will not initially remain equippable for Battle Royale gameplay, so this is the moment to finish anything you still want as an active buff.

• Unlocked styles on the Sprite Mastery Pod Back Bling — mastered Sprites become wearable styles.
• Pilots in the Guardian Outfit — your Sprites show up as the Outfit's pilots.
• Still listed on your Sprite Collection page, alongside the new Season 4 generation.
• Displayed and playable inside the Sprite Garden itself.

A whole new generation of Sprites

Season 4 isn't just a home for old Sprites — Epic is shipping "a whole new generation of Sprites to collect and master, including new powers and variants, Quality-of-Life improvements based on your feedback, and new ways to discover Sprites in (and out of) your games." Expect the familiar cadence to continue too: boosted drop-rate days, surprise Power Hours, and new quests tied to completing your collection.

Confirmed 'Override' collabs so far — and what's still a leak

The gaming-legends theme is no longer just datamine chatter. Officially confirmed: Sonic the Hedgehog (a teaser on Sonic's own channels, August 11), Persona 5's Joker (confirmed by Atlus for the season's launch, August 13), and Tetris (revealed via Epic's Discord ARG, including a Tetris Mythic item that summons falling blocks). The August 15 'Unstable' event underlined it — the Zero Point is now a giant game cartridge displaying Sonic, Dr. Eggman, Pac-Man, Mega Man and Tetris. Epic's Discord ARG has produced four codes so far: GottaGoFast (Sonic), TakeYourHeart (Persona 5), PerfectOrder (Tetris) and SurviveTheNight — decoded by the community as Minecraft, but not separately confirmed.

The Battle Pass trailer settled the structure: Sonic is the pass's single gaming collab (Level 85), alongside Geno (Level 60), a customizable Tetris outfit and original skins including Bastian, Grace Crowne, K1TTYW1NS, Wrixel, Mali and Phantom. The rest of the legends roster — Dr. Eggman, Shadow, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Joker, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Geralt, Lara Croft, Master Chief and more — is slated for the Item Shop. The Kingdom Hearts crossover is now officially confirmed by Epic, Disney and Square Enix — the official key art shows Sora in his Kingdom Hearts II outfit with a Keyblade pickaxe (Loot Llama keychain included), hitting the Item Shop later in the season. The same key art also surfaced Beyond Good & Evil's Jade and Roblox's 99 Nights in the Forest. And the collab-Sprite question is answered too: the trailer shows collab characters as Sprites (Sonic, Tails, Klombo) — we'll verify the full list against the live collection when v42.00 lands on August 20.

The five Design-a-Sprite winners (mid-season)

Five community-designed Sprites won Epic's Design-a-Sprite contest and arrive in a mid-season Season 4 update rather than at launch:

• Bullet Sprite — by Enorull
• Dumpster Dive Sprite — by StinkyPrincessGoose
• Honey Sprite — by Conejito_sam
• Pond Sprite — by Pine & Kiri
• X-Ray Sprite — by Avila215

What to do before Season 3 ends (August 19)

• Master the Season 3 Sprites you most want as Back Bling styles or Guardian pilots — mastery is what unlocks the cosmetic carryover.
• Grab the free Gem world spawns (Gem Water, Earth, Aura) and any Gem variants you're missing while they're live.
• Spend all your Sprite Dust and Gizmos before the flip — Epic has confirmed they reset when the season ends, so nothing you bank carries over.
• Use the interactive checklist to see exactly which Runners Sprites you still need before the season flips.