Save the World has been free to play since 16 April 2026, but Founders still have one thing new players can never get: they keep earning V-Bucks from Daily Quests, Mission Alerts and Storm Shield Defense missions, while free players earn X-Ray Tickets instead. Epic stopped selling the mode on 11 March 2026, so the Founder group is now closed for good.
Key facts at a glance
| Date | What happened | Why it matters to buyers |
|---|---|---|
| 21 July 2017 | Founder's Pack pre-order owners got a four day head start | The first Founders on record |
| 25 July 2017 | Save the World entered paid early access | Founder's Packs were the entry ticket |
| 24 July 2018 | Warpaint and Rose Team Leader added for Founders | The best known Founder outfits in Battle Royale |
| 29 June 2020 | Founder's Packs discontinued with update v13.20 | Existing packs were upgraded one tier for free |
| 11 March 2026 | Epic paused new Save the World purchases | No new account can become a Founder after this |
| 16 April 2026 | Save the World became free to play | Free players earn X-Ray Tickets, Founders keep V-Bucks |
What a Founder's Pack was
Before Battle Royale took over, Fortnite was a paid co-op mode. The Founder's Pack bought access to that mode plus extra loot. The Fortnite Wiki lists the Standard Edition at $39.99 and the Deluxe Edition at $59.99, with Super Deluxe, Limited and Ultimate tiers above them.
The higher tiers added more llamas, armory slots and heroes. Super Deluxe and Limited included the exclusive EPIC defenders Jill and Idris. Limited added a choice of a LEGENDARY hero pack, and Ultimate unlocked the remaining legendary heroes and the Nocturno schematic.
- Standard: Save the World access, banner icons, the Warpaint and Rose Team sets, Founder's Glider, Founder's Umbrella and Ride The Pony.
- Deluxe: everything above plus starter weapon and hero packs, 50 armory slots and XP boosts.
- Super Deluxe and Limited: more llamas, Jill and Idris, and for Limited a legendary hero pack.
- Ultimate: an upgrade only visible after buying Limited, with all remaining legendary heroes.
When Epic discontinued the packs on 29 June 2020, every owner was upgraded one tier for free. The wiki says Ultimate owners received 8,000 V-Bucks as compensation instead. That is why a 2017 Standard buyer may now show Deluxe in the game.
What free to play changed in 2026
Epic announced on 11 March 2026 that Save the World would go free on 16 April on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Cloud and Nintendo Switch 2. New purchases were paused from 8 PM ET that same day. Epic's support page adds that the mode is not available on the original Switch, smartphones or tablets.
All players now get the full campaign. The difference is the currency. Free players earn X-Ray Tickets, which buy X-Ray Llamas in the Llama Shop. Players who bought the mode before, whom Epic calls Founders, still earn V-Bucks through Daily Quests, Mission Alerts, Storm Shield Defense missions and existing Challenges.
Current players also received Superchargers, Vouchers and Gold on 16 April as a thank you for nine years of support. Those are Save the World resources, not Battle Royale cosmetics.
Free to play did not make Founder status worthless. It froze it. Because nobody can buy Save the World any more, the ability to earn V-Bucks in the mode is now the one Fortnite perk that no amount of money can add to a new account.
Founder cosmetics in Battle Royale
Most buyers care about Founder status because of what it shows in the Battle Royale locker. In July 2018 Epic gave Warpaint and Rose Team Leader to all Founders, and on 1 August 2018 said they were available for Founders "past, present, and future".
| Item | Type | How it was unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Warpaint | Legendary outfit | Owning a Founder's Pack |
| Rose Team Leader | Legendary outfit | Owning a Founder's Pack |
| Founder's Glider | Glider | Owning a Founder's Pack |
| Founder's Umbrella | Umbrella glider, released 26 September 2017 | Winning a Battle Royale match after buying a Founder's Pack |
| Ride The Pony | Emote | Owning a Founder's Pack |
The Rose Team and Warpaint sets also include items such as Pursuit, Skirmish, Rose Glow, Mean Streak, Wild Streak and Rose Rider. The Fortnite Wiki marks Warpaint and Rose Team Leader as limited time items that may never return.
One detail is unconfirmed: Epic's free to play notes do not say whether brand new free players receive these cosmetics. We have not found an official statement either way, so treat them as Founder markers rather than proof of a specific purchase date.
How to verify an "OG STW" account
Listings often use "OG STW" or "STW Founder" as a selling point. You can check most of it in a few minutes once you have access, and you should ask for proof before you pay.
- Battle Royale locker: look for Warpaint, Rose Team Leader, the Founder's Glider and the Founder's Umbrella. The umbrella needs a win after purchase, so an active Founder usually has it.
- Save the World rewards: open the Quests tab and Mission Alerts. Epic says rewards are displayed, so a Founder sees V-Bucks where a free player sees X-Ray Tickets.
- Transactions tab: on epicgames.com, Account then Transactions lists purchases from newest to oldest. An early Founder's Pack purchase is the strongest evidence of an old account.
- Edition shown in game: remember the 2020 one tier upgrade before you argue about Deluxe versus Standard.
- Full access: the original email matters more than any item, because the email owner can recover the account through support.
For the Battle Royale side of an old account, such as OG styles on Renegade Raider or Skull Trooper, see our guide to Fortnite OG skins that are still exclusive. Our Fortnite account buying checklist covers access and email checks in more detail.
Is a Founder account worth paying for?
It depends on what you play. If you only play Battle Royale, Founder status matters mainly for the cosmetics and as proof that the account is old. If you play Save the World, it also means steady V-Bucks from daily play, which a free account cannot earn in that mode.
Founder status rarely carries an account alone. It adds the most value next to other early items, such as Chapter 1 Battle Pass outfits or original styles. You can browse OG Fortnite accounts with Save the World in our catalog and compare what each one includes, or start from the Fortnite guide hub.
Related: How to Check a Fortnite Account's Age and OG Status.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still buy a Founder's Pack?
No. Epic discontinued Founder's Packs on 29 June 2020 when Save the World left early access, and paused all new Save the World purchases on 11 March 2026 before the mode went free.
Is Save the World free in 2026?
Yes. Save the World has been free to play since 16 April 2026 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Cloud and Nintendo Switch 2. It is not available on the original Switch, smartphones or tablets.
Do free players earn V-Bucks in Save the World?
No. Free players earn X-Ray Tickets, which buy X-Ray Llamas. Only players who bought Save the World before it went free, called Founders, earn V-Bucks from quests, Mission Alerts and Storm Shield Defense missions.
How do I know if a Fortnite account is a Founder account?
Check the locker for Warpaint, Rose Team Leader and the Founder's Umbrella, see whether Save the World quests show V-Bucks rewards, and look for the purchase in the Transactions tab on epicgames.com.
Why does my old Standard pack show as Deluxe?
When Founder's Packs were discontinued in June 2020, Epic upgraded every owner to the next tier for free. Ultimate owners, who had nowhere higher to go, received 8,000 V-Bucks instead.
Want a Founder account without guesswork? Every listing in our Fortnite accounts catalog is checked by hand before delivery, comes with a lifetime warranty against recovery by the previous owner, and our team will help you pick an account that matches the items you care about.
Sources
- Fortnite: Save the World Goes Free-to-Play April 16
- Epic Games Support: How to play Fortnite Save the World
- Epic Games Support: Is the Founders Pack available in Fortnite?
- Epic Games Support: How do I get more V-Bucks in Save the World?
- Epic Games Support: How can I find my purchase history?
- Fortnite Wiki: Founder's Pack
- Fortnite Wiki: Rose Team Leader
- Fortnite Wiki: Warpaint
- Fortnite Wiki: Founder's Umbrella
- Wikipedia: Fortnite: Save the World
