Superheroes swap capes for swimsuits

Fortnite's collaboration engine took a playful turn with a summer-themed DC crossover. Landing with the v41.20 update on July 16, 2026, the Hot Bat Summer event brings beach-themed versions of iconic DC characters to the item shop, trading Gotham's gloom for sun and surf. It is the kind of lighthearted crossover that keeps Fortnite's cosmetic ecosystem fresh.

The event pairs the new skins with themed companions and vehicles, giving fans a full set of beach-ready DC gear.

What is in the shop

The Hot Bat Summer lineup covers heroes and villains alike:

Four beach-themed skins: Summer Batman, Summer Harley Quinn, Summer Catwoman, and Summer Poison Ivy.
Ace the Bat-Hound as a Sidekick companion, and a Beach Buggy Batmobile car body.
Individual outfits at 1,500 V-Bucks each, the Sidekick at 1,200 V-Bucks, and the Batmobile at 2,500 V-Bucks.
Tie-in gameplay including a returning Bat-Grappler Mythic with glider redeploy and a new Batman Sprite, plus a Shiny Hours Sprite event on July 18.

A full-bundle price and a returning Batarang item were reported but unconfirmed, so those details are worth checking against the live shop.

Why it works

The Hot Bat Summer event is a smart piece of seasonal cosmetic design. Reimagining serious superheroes and villains in beach attire fits the tropical theme of Fortnite's current season and gives fans a fun, distinctive take on characters they already love. Summer variants of Batman and Poison Ivy are exactly the kind of novelty that drives item-shop purchases, since they offer something players cannot get elsewhere.

The supporting cosmetics deepen the appeal. Ace the Bat-Hound as a Sidekick and the Beach Buggy Batmobile give buyers a coordinated set rather than standalone skins, encouraging fuller purchases. The tie-in gameplay, including the returning Bat-Grappler Mythic and a new Batman Sprite, connects the cosmetics to the season's mechanics, so the crossover touches how the game plays and not just how it looks.

DC has been a recurring Fortnite partner, and the summer spin keeps that relationship feeling fresh rather than repetitive. By theming the drop around the season and adding a Sprite event, Epic integrates a licensed crossover into the live-service calendar seamlessly. For DC fans and Fortnite players alike, Hot Bat Summer is a breezy, well-executed collaboration that captures the game's knack for blending big franchises with its own evolving world.