Fortnite is tapping into early 2000s nostalgia for its next collaboration.
The vibrant metaverse in Fortnite continues to expand with all kinds of crossovers, and its next one is aimed at millennials specifically. Neopets, the digital pets platform launched in 1999 that millions bonded with decades ago, is coming to the modern battle royale game, bringing one of its most popular species, Aisha, into the game.
The collaboration was revealed by Neopets on social media and confirmed by Epic Games. “Neopia, meet Fortnite. Fortnite, meet Aisha,” the post stated, introducing the retro virtual world of Neopia to the vast Fortnite universe.
While exact details of the collaboration have yet to be confirmed, it seems that Aisha will arrive as a Sidekick in Fortnite–as speculated by Polygon and many in the Fortnite community, one of them coming from X account Fortnite Underground.
Sidekicks are purely cosmetic companions that function like pets, following players around during matches and reacting to the environment, while also being able to emote and do other interactions. With customisation also available for Sidekicks, fans can expect accessories to accompany a base model for Aisha–possibly reflecting the two versions shown in the official announcement.
When is the Fortnite x Neopets collaboration launching?
The Fortnite x Neopets collaboration, which is set to bring Aisha into the game, will arrive on 2 July, 2026.
What are Neopets?
Neopets, launched in 1999, allowed users to adopt and care for their own digital pets within their website. Players can choose from 55 unique species (current expanded lineup), including popular Neopets such as Shoyru, Kacheek, and the Fortnite collaboration headliner, Aisha.
In the virtual world of Neopia, players can take part in games and events to earn an in-game currency called Neopoints. This can be used to purchase virtual items such as cosmetics and toys for their pets, including appearance-changing items like paintbrushes and morphing potions.
Neopets grew incredibly popular, reaching over 35 million users in 2005. It was known to be one of the “stickiest” websites on the internet, meaning that users spent significantly more time on Neopets than on most other sites.
However, with the rise of Facebook and other social media platforms in later years, Neopets began to lose ground in an increasingly crowded digital entertainment world. The game went through several changes in ownership and even a controversial NFT pivot in 2021, which further impacted its popularity.
Since operating under NetDragon in 2023, Neopets has gradually been recovering through its “Neopian renaissance” project. Neopets has made steps back into modern gaming, releasing a match-3 puzzle mobile game called Neopets: Faerie Fragments in 2024, alongside a mobile life-simulation title, Tales of Dacardia, in the same year.
Now, Neopets is set to take its biggest step yet, entering the vast universe of Fortnite.
