Fortnite’s expanded PAC-MAN crossover has been decrypted ahead of its upcoming Item Shop release, exposing a broader cosmetic lineup than the original 2022 collaboration. Fortnite leaker ShiinaBR reports that the newly accessible files include a PAC-MAN Sidekick, Back Bling, Kicks and Pickaxe, while the earlier PAC-MAN Back Bling and PAC-Brained emote are also set to return. PAC-MAN’s official account has independently confirmed that the crossover reaches the Fortnite Shop on September 18, although Epic Games has not yet published a complete shop breakdown.
The Sidekick is the most significant new addition because it puts PAC-MAN himself alongside the player rather than adapting the character into a conventional Outfit. Earlier promotional material had already shown the mascot functioning as a Sidekick, and leaked trailer assets pointed to the September 18 release before the latest game files were decrypted. The newly accessible content now provides additional evidence of the wider cosmetic set prepared around that release.
Alongside the Sidekick, the decrypted files reportedly include PAC-MAN-themed Kicks and a new Pickaxe. The exact V-Bucks prices for the individual items have not been officially announced, and Epic has not confirmed whether every cosmetic will be available separately or only through particular bundles. That distinction should become clear when the PAC-MAN section enters the live Item Shop rotation.
The crossover also brings back cosmetics from Fortnite’s earlier PAC-MAN collaboration. The original PAC-MAN Back Bling was first introduced in Chapter 3 Season 2 in June 2022 and reacts to eliminations by cycling through classic arcade items. The PAC-Brained emote accompanied that earlier release, giving returning players another opportunity to obtain cosmetics that have been absent from the shop for an extended period.
PAC-MAN’s presence in Chapter 7 Season 4 goes beyond cosmetics. Epic’s Override season has incorporated classic gaming properties directly into the island, with PAC-MAN-themed locations and Ghost characters appearing as part of the season’s broader crossover structure. Blinky and other PAC-MAN elements have also surfaced through the current update, while the character’s September 18 shop launch expands the collaboration into Fortnite’s newer Sidekick and Kicks systems.
The timing follows the release of Fortnite v42.20 on September 17, which added or activated files for several major collaborations. Kingdom Hearts launched with Sora, Riku, Kairi and Roxas, while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners assets were also decrypted from the update. PAC-MAN’s cosmetics remaining encrypted until shortly before their planned shop appearance fits Fortnite’s common practice of keeping unreleased crossover assets hidden until close to launch.
Decryptions are generally more concrete than references found only in configuration files because they expose assets already packaged with the live game, but they still do not guarantee the exact structure of Epic’s Item Shop offers. Bundle composition, prices and availability windows can change before release, so those details remain unconfirmed until the shop refresh occurs. The September 18 date itself is on firmer ground because PAC-MAN’s official social account has publicly told players to pick up the character in Fortnite starting that day.
The new crossover substantially expands on PAC-MAN’s previous Fortnite appearance. Instead of limiting the collaboration to a Back Bling and emote, the latest rollout incorporates the mascot as a Sidekick alongside footwear, a harvesting tool and returning legacy cosmetics. It also arrives during a season built heavily around gaming crossovers, placing PAC-MAN alongside properties such as Mega Man, Kingdom Hearts and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.
Fortnite’s PAC-MAN Item Shop rollout is scheduled to begin September 18. With the assets now decrypted, players have a clearer picture of what is coming, though final pricing and the exact bundle structure will remain uncertain until Epic activates the offers in the live shop.
