Is Rue a rare Fortnite skin? Fandom wars erupt as cosmetic becomes extremely rare

Fortnite skins are always a hot topic in discussions on social media as players have their own opinions about certain in-game offerings that they like or would like to see in the Item Shop.

While some demand a collaboration with a popular franchise, others simply want their favorite cosmetics to return so they can purchase and flex them in the next match.

While it is known that Epic Games carries out regular rotations in the Item Shop for a few cosmetics at random, some get left in the abyss as they are released only on special occasions. However, there are also a few cosmetics in the game that might never return as they were caught under controversies that ran wild on social media.

One such outfit is the Rue skin, which was released in Chapter 2 Season 2 and could be bought from the Item Shop for 1200 V-Bucks. It comes in two selectable styles, red and black, and features a female character in a synthetic trenchcoat.

Earlier last year, the outfit became highly controversial for its resemblance to that of a Nazi officer from the days of WWII. Hence, it was leaked that Epic wouldn't be bringing the skin back to the Item Shop, even after its wild popularity among the playerbase.

Here's how Fortnite fans reacted upon hearing the news that the cosmetic is now officially rare.

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Fortnite players express their disappointment towards Epic as Rue becomes a rare skin

Rue was last seen in the Item Shop more than 1000 days ago, which is extremely rare in cosmetics of this popularity. Although the outfit didn't garner as much attention when it was released, it slowly gained fame as pros started using it in their matches. As such, the community started racking up on V-Bucks to purchase it.

However, it was astonishing to see that the outfit only saw two Fortnite Item Shop appearances in its lifetime, which were on April 25 and May 27, 2020. Ever since then, the skin hasn't returned to the shop, following its numerous controversies around the Nazi angle.

On February 10, 2023, popular YouTuber Tabor Hill posted a GIF of a gamer getting "triggered." This was because Rue is teh creator's signature go-to skin and wants it to return to the Item Shop so he can finally create his Fortnite locker bundle in collaboration with Epic. While that seems like a distant reality now, his fans are equally unhappy with the developers sending the skin into the vault forever.

Another user tweeted asking about when the skin will return back to the Fortnite Item Shop. They also added that the Plague cosmetic was blacklisted as well and yet made a return. As such, it might be a hint towards the possibility that Rue may return soon too.

Meanwhile, a user named Omega spoke about how the symbolic inappropriation of the Rue skin might affect other upcoming characters who feature an outfit similar to an oppressor. This also includes various characters in the anime and gaming world that have not entered the vast multiverse of Fortnite yet, but may do so in the future as collaborations are on the rise.

Players like JaneArcane also brought up a fair point about Epic sitting on a cash cow similar to outfits like Renegade Raider, Kratos, and more that are an instant purchase for some loopers. They would also like to see all the rare outfits make an appearance back in Fortnite as players are already unhappy about how seldom these in-game cosmetics are seen.