I’m going to sound like a nerd who never touches grass when I say this, but hear me out: it’s 2026, and I’m still annoyed that Epic Games and Bethesda chose the T-60 power armor for the Fallout x Fortnite crossover. It was the most boring choice they could have made. Even unique paint jobs couldn’t save it. I’ve played every Fortnite season since Chapter 1, and I’ve nuked half the Commonwealth in Fallout 4, so trust me when I say this crossover should have been a slam dunk. Instead, it felt like ordering a fancy apocalypse burger and getting a plain cheeseburger with radioactive ketchup. 🍔☢️
The T-60 Is the Default Setting of Fallout Power Armor
Fallout 4 reveals that, just before the bombs dropped and plunged the world into ruin, a new model of power armor was developed. We haven’t seen it before because… reasons. But since the Brotherhood of Steel uncovered this highly advanced tech, everyone wears it now. It’s plastered on promotional material, appeared in the TV series, and has become the de facto power armor of the franchise. That’s not iconic. That’s marketing with a fusion core.
The most notable difference between the T-60 and earlier models is that the visor lifts up and it has a jetpack. Cool? Sure. But the original T-51 design was clunkier and felt more tangible in its design. It was impractical and tanky, appearing almost like old diver suits if they were coated in metal plating. There was a rich ‘50s retro-futuristic vibe to them that was watered down with the T-60, which feels more like the Iron Monger suit from the first Iron Man film. And I like Iron Monger. I just don’t want every Fallout skin to be Iron Monger with a Vault Boy sticker.
Paint Jobs Are Not Variety
It wouldn’t be so bad if the T-60 wasn’t the only suit of armor in the crossover. But all of the Fortnite-themed paint jobs are for the same exact model. Fallout has such a rich tapestry of designs Epic Games could have pulled from instead. Paint jobs definitely vary the T-60 suit, but they all have the exact same silhouette. That’s like releasing five Spider-Man skins and pretending they’re different characters because one has a hood. 🕷️
The Suits We Actually Wanted
Perhaps the most iconic power armor besides the standard model is the X-01 suit, otherwise known as the Enclave version. It’s far bulkier and has a unique, almost insectoid helmet. It was plastered on the cover art of Fallout 2 and featured heavily in the sequel with the return of the pre-war US government, making it instantly recognisable.
Similar to the Enclave suit is the Advanced Power Armor Mark 1, which is a grungier dark gray outfit with brown accents and far less prominent pauldrons, making it much slicker. It also has a fan on the back lit up in bright yellow, a striking contrast to the rest of the design. These two would have drastically varied silhouettes in Fortnite, which matters when you’re trying to spot a sweat across the map.
One of the more striking post-apocalypse designs that would fit Fortnite’s current season perfectly is the raider power armor from Fallout 4. It’s a repurposed, hodge-podge mix of T-45 and T-51 models with a rusted cage over the helmet and scrap metal plating used to patch up the holes. It looks like it was assembled by someone who lost a fight with a welding torch and then won a second fight by cheating. I love it.
| Power Armor | Vibe | Why It Would Slap in Fortnite |
|---|---|---|
| T-60 | Generic hero suit | The one we got. Yay. |
| T-51 | Retro diver tank | Chunky, weird, lovable |
| X-01 / Enclave | Insectoid nightmare | Instant boss energy |
| Advanced Mark 1 | Slick dark gray | Yellow fan go brrr |
| Raider | Rusted scrap cage | Perfect for chaos |
It’s Not Just Power Armor
Of course, there are a ton of iconic designs outside of power armor that would’ve been just as striking, from the NCR ranger gear to the vault dweller suits to Caesar’s Legion and the synths. Opting for the T-60 power armor alone is a dull, bland, safe choice that doesn’t dig deep into some of the more intriguing designs from across the series that are equally as recognisable.
With how much thought Fortnite puts into its other crossovers, it’s a shame to see Fallout get the short end of the stick. I’ve seen Fortnite turn obscure anime characters into must-buy skins. I’ve seen it make a fish into a pop culture icon. So why did Fallout get the video game equivalent of a beige rental car? In 2026, with the Fallout TV series still glowing in the cultural background radiation, this should have been a no-brainer. A squad of friends all decked out in their favourite power armor would bring the crossover to life, whereas right now, it’s the most basic Fallout imagery you can think of.
Hopefully this is just the first of many future collaborations and one day we’ll see even more pulled from the radioactive wasteland instead of stopping at the cover art. Give me the Enclave. Give me the raider. Give me a synth that does the default dance while I question my humanity. Until then, I’ll be here, in my T-60, looking exactly like everyone else. And that’s the most boring fate of all. 💀