Disney Villains Take Over Fortnite for Fortnitemares 2026
Epic Games reveals the Disney Villains collection for Fortnitemares 2026, bringing Maleficent and Hades to the battle royale with mythic emotes.
Fortnite is getting a whole lot more wicked this October. Epic Games has officially pulled back the curtain on its headlining collaboration for Fortnitemares 2026, and the spotlight is shining directly on Disney’s most iconic bad guys. The upcoming “Disney Villains” collection is set to bring Maleficent and Hades straight to the battle royale island, complete with brand-new reactive cosmetics and highly anticipated mythic traversal emotes.
This is not just another simple skin drop. It is a major event. Epic Games has built a reputation for turning its annual Halloween celebration into a massive pop-culture crossover, but this year feels different. By bringing in classic animation villains, the developers are tapping into a deep well of nostalgia that spans generations of gamers and Disney fans alike.
The Icons of Evil Arrive
The collection focuses on two powerhouse names. First is Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil. Her in-game model captures her classic silhouette perfectly, complete with her iconic horned headdress and flowing black-and-purple robes. Epic did not skimp on the details here. Her skin features a subtle, glowing green aura that pulses gently during gameplay, mimicking her dark magic from the 1959 animated classic.
Joining her is Hades, the fast-talking, hot-tempered ruler of the Underworld from Disney’s 1997 film, *Hercules*. While Fortnite previously featured a stylized, armored version of Hades during its Greek mythology-themed season, this new skin is the exact cartoon representation fans have been begging for. He comes with his signature blue flaming hair, toga, and a look of permanent mischief on his face.
Revolutionary Mythic Traversal Emotes
The real talking point of the Fortnitemares 2026 collection is the introduction of mythic traversal emotes. Unlike standard emotes that keep players frozen in place, these allow players to move around the map while performing dramatic, character-specific actions.
Maleficent gets “Dragon’s Shadow.” When activated, her character levitates slightly off the ground, surrounded by a swirling vortex of green fire. As you walk forward, a massive, shadowy dragon silhouette mirrors your movements on the ground beneath you. It is intimidating, theatrical, and bound to turn heads in the pre-game lobby.
Hades features the “Underworld Glide” emote. Using this, the lord of the dead conjures a chariot of dark, smoky fire. He steps aboard and glides across the terrain, leaving a trail of lost souls in his wake. The blue flames on his head flare up dramatically the faster you move, adding a brilliant layer of reactivity to the movement.
A Deepening Partnership
This crossover is the latest fruit of the massive partnership between Epic Games and Disney. Back in early 2024, the entertainment giant invested $1.5 billion in Epic to create an expansive, persistent Disney universe within Fortnite. Since then, we have seen heroes, Star Wars characters, and Marvel champions dominate the item shop. However, focusing solely on the villains for Fortnitemares represents a clever shift in tone.
“We wanted to do something that felt genuinely atmospheric for the spooky season,” an Epic Games spokesperson shared. “These characters are not just skins; they are theatrical. The reactive elements and the traversal emotes are designed to make you feel like you are actually playing out a movie scene.”
Pricing and Release Date
While Epic Games has not finalized the exact pricing, industry insiders expect the individual character bundles to land somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 V-Bucks. Each bundle will likely include the character skin, a custom pickaxe—like Maleficent’s staff or Hades’ bident—a unique back bling, and the exclusive traversal emote. A discounted megabundle containing both characters and all their accessories will also be available for players wanting the complete set.
The Disney Villains collection is scheduled to hit the Fortnite Item Shop during the first week of Fortnitemares 2026, which is slated to begin in mid-October. Gamers should start saving their V-Bucks now, because these legends of animated evil will only be available for a limited time before returning to the vault.
