Fortnite's The Dane Sidekick Is Free for Every Player Right Now

Epic Games is giving every single Fortnite player a free Great Dane sidekick called The Dane, dropped automatically with the v41.20 update. No Battle Pass ownership, no quest grinding, no hoops to jump through.

This is the third canine sidekick to land in Fortnite this season, and Epic is clearly building momentum ahead of pets arriving in UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) next week. The Dane reads less like a standard cosmetic drop and more like a deliberate push to get players familiar with the pet system before it opens up to creator-made experiences.

What The Dane actually comes with

The Dane is not a stripped-down freebie. The sidekick ships with one additional style, a dedicated emote, and three reactions, all unlocked out of the box for everyone. You can also rename him directly from the locker's sidekick customization menu at no extra cost, which is a small but appreciated touch.

The reward cannot be refunded since Epic granted it as a blanket gift to all players rather than a purchasable item, so there is nothing to return even if you wanted to.

How to find The Dane in your locker

For most players, the sidekick shows up automatically as a login notification the first time you boot Fortnite after the v41.20 update. If that notification does not appear, head straight to your locker and filter the collection by Sidekicks. The Dane's icon will be sitting there waiting.

The steps are straightforward:

1. Launch Fortnite on the v41.20 build.
2. Check for the automatic login notification.
3. If absent, open the Locker and filter by Sidekicks.
4. Select The Dane and customize the style, emote, and reactions.
5. Rename the sidekick from the customization screen if preferred.

Three canine sidekicks in one season

The Dane joins a growing roster of free pet rewards this Chapter 7 Season 3 cycle. Epic has been unusually generous with sidekick giveaways, and the timing lines up with the UEFN pets rollout. Getting players attached to these companions before creator maps can feature them is a smart setup.

For context on how the earlier free sidekick giveaways worked this season, the Kyo Sidekick unlock guide covers the eligibility requirements for that one, which did require owning specific back bling unlike The Dane's zero-barrier approach. The Dark Voyager Sidekick had its own event-based claim window too, detailed in the Dark Voyager Sidekick and Pickaxe guide.

The Dane is the most accessible of the three by a significant margin. There is no ownership check, no event attendance, and no time-limited claim window announced so far. Log in, update, and it is yours.

Keep an eye on the full Fortnite guides collection as Epic continues rolling out free cosmetics and new UEFN pet features through the rest of the season.