A new sprite variant has been introduced in Fortnite Treasure Hunters, with the rollout of Cursed sprites. It is only the second sprite variant (excluding the base version) in the game right now, besides the Fortune sprites, and has taken the total count from 24 unique sprites to 34.
Almost every sprite that previously got a Fortune variant has received a Cursed variant, with the sole exception being the Kelper Sprite. This is understandable because the fish-like sprite’s health boost while in water directly contradicts one of the effects of the Cursed sprite variant, which we will talk about later. Moreover, Sweet Dreams and Transponder Snail sprites are still the only two sprites that only come in the base version.
Below, you can learn more about what Cursed sprites bring to the table for those who have it. On the other hand, for those of you who don’t have one yet, you can check out the various ways using which you can eventually acquire the same.
What do Cursed sprites do in Fortnite?
Equipping a Cursed sprite increases your chances of finding rare sprites in chests scattered across the map. However, there’s a catch: your character takes damage whenever you enter the water.
This makes Cursed sprites a trade-off. You get a better chance of finding rare sprites, but you need to be careful around water while one is equipped.
In addition to the aforementioned effects, you obviously do get the underlying benefit of the sprite type. For instance, Cursed Halfpeel’d gives the above benefit in tandem with marked elimination showing up on the map.
How to get a Cursed sprite in Fortnite
There are several ways to find Cursed sprites in Fortnite Treasure Hunters. You can search specific chest types, complete Wanted Poster quests, use locator items, or get help from another player.
1. Search for Sprite Chests and Rare Chests
There are four different types of chests available in Fortnite Treasure Hunters, including Treasure Chest, buried chest, Rare Chest, and Sprite Chest. While the former two may not give any sprite—let alone a Cursed variant—in most cases, the latter two have a strong chance of spawning one. So, it’s highly recommended that, on your hunt for any sprite you don’t already have, you always try to open as many Sprite Chests and Rare Chests as possible.
Having said that, there are certain named POIs in this One Piece-themed mini-season that have a relatively higher concentration of these two kinds of chests. For Rare Chests, you can focus on exploring Lil’ Uzi’s Stronghold, The $.$. Rocky, and Loguetown, each of which have 4 or more such chests.
On the flip side, you will find more Sprite Chests than usual—say at least two to three—in places such as the Windmill Village island, the Rubber Resort island, and the areas directly surrounding Cursed Cavern.
2. Taking Wanted Poster side quests
A new mechanic Fortnite devs have brought into the fray this season is Wanted Posters. When you are close to one, you get an indicator on-screen and, once you find it, you have to collect the poster in order to start the quest for locating a buried Sprite Chest. These chests guarantee a sprite, even though the rarity of the sprite that you get is not guaranteed to be high-tier.
However, this is another effective way of finding new sprites in Treasure Hunters. Importantly, the named locations that house 10 or more Wanted Posters in the Battle Royale modes are Cursed Cavern, Loguetown, Lantern Landing, Arlong Park, The $.$. Rocky, and Lil’ Uzi’s Stronghold. So, make sure you go through a few of these areas in each match to maximize your chances of nabbing a Cursed sprite variant.
3. Use a Sprite Locator or Lucky Locator
Sprite Locator and Lucky Locator are two gizmos available this season through various methods, ranging from reaching certain Sprite Mastery milestones to simply chancing upon one from a Treasure Chest. Both of these items help find buried Sprite Chests. But the difference lies in that the former gizmo leads to a chest that can give any random sprite, whereas the latter item leads to one that always gives a sprite not already present in your collection.
4. Asking a friend for help
Taking a Cursed sprite from a friendly player and indexing it is another viable way of getting your hands on it. All you have to do is find a player who already owns the desired Cursed sprite variant and is willing to help. Even newbies, whose friends list in Fortnite is still taking shape, can visit the game’s official Discord to find like-minded players.
Once you find a player like that, you just have to join a couple of Battle Royale matches with him. In the first one, borrow the Cursed sprite in-game and extract it—use a Portable Extractor for zero-risk extraction. In the next match, you can similarly return the sprite to its original owner. Later, you can visit the Treasure tab and then the Sprites section, from where you can recall a new instance of the Cursed variant you just returned, in exchange for some V-Bucks.
Cursed vs Fortune: Two variants for players with two different approaches
With Cursed sprites following after Fortune sprites, there are now two dedicated variants for players with two different motivations. While the Fortune sprite variant is highly suitable for those who are hunting for the Pirate Shop Access and want to open as many chests in a match as possible, the Cursed sprite variant is similarly a great fit for those players who prioritize completing their sprite catalog over anything else.
If you look at it from a certain perspective, it would appear that Fortune sprites are meant for players who want to grab the unprecedented chance to stock up on tons of free cosmetics, whereas the Cursed sprites are intended for those who want to efficiently collect sprites without having to open too many chests. By giving distinct purposes to these two variants, Fortnite has made it easier for players to equip the right sprite to match their playstyle.
