Fortnite’s Newest Oakley Collab Highlights The Power of Fashion in Gaming
In October 2024, fashion enthusiasts saw a surge in collaborations between iconic brands and popular figures — from Lewis Hamilton partnering with Dior to Drake with Canadian brand October’s Very Own.
Yet, there’s one collaboration that truly stands out, merging two distinct yet increasingly intertwined worlds: fashion and gaming. Oakley’s partnership with Fortnite, which first began in 2023, brought six new eyewear styles to the gaming community in its latest iteration, showcasing fun lenses, bold shapes, and the inclusion of prescription lenses for gamers.
Through this unique collection, Oakley is not just catering to a tech-savvy, style-conscious audience but also highlighting the growing importance of fashion in video games. Below, we take a closer look at what this collaboration means.
Fashion meets gaming with Fortnite
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The blend of fashion and gaming might have been unexpected to some, but industry insiders saw it coming. One of the earliest signs of the relationship was in 2019, when Fortnite collaborated with Adidas. This was followed in 2023 by Nike’s “Airphoria,” a virtual world inspired by the classic Air Max sneaker. Using the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, this collaboration immersed players in a universe styled after the legendary Air Max 1. In November 2024, Nike and Fortnite teamed up again to introduce new in-game features highlighting some of Nike’s most iconic sneaker models, from the “Black Toe Reimagined” Air Jordan 1 Retro to Air Jordan 3 Retro “Black Cement.”
While fashion was always going to make its mark on gaming, the reverse — gaming’s influence on fashion — has opened new avenues. Oakley was one of the first to recognize this trend with their range of gaming-inspired eyewear. Models such as “BMNG” and “Rafter” feature the same lightweight O-Matter™ frame material and Three-Point Fit that popularized Oakley eyewear for extended wear purposes. More than just highlighting Oakley’s durable and comfortable fit, these glasses also cater to a gamer’s vision needs through premium-quality lens options. Available on the retailer Clearly, they can be equipped with blue-violet light filtering lenses to alleviate eye strain and reduce glare when staring at screens. Single-vision and progressive lenses are also available to accommodate distorted vision at near, intermediate, and far distances—making these glasses suitable not only for gaming but also for vision-impaired players who need clear vision for other daily activities.
As screen time continued to rise, Oakley developed its Prizm Gaming 2.0 lenses in 2022, providing sharper vision and reduced eye strain, ideal for night gaming and dedicated gamers. The brand’s partnership with Fortnite would only solidify its foray into the gaming world.
The game-changing collaborations
Oakley’s 2023 partnership with Fortnite represented a major step forward, with its gaming-focused eyewear made specifically for Fortnite fans. Standout models included the Oakley “Spectra,” featuring a bold, iridescent frame inspired by Fortnite’s vibrant visual style, and the “Guardian,” which incorporated Oakley’s Prizm Gaming 2.0 lenses. This alliance gave Oakley a chance to test its appeal within the gaming sector, where eyewear could be seen as an extension of both personal style and function.
In October 2024, the Oakley x Fortnite collaboration took another step forward with the release of six unique eyewear styles, from the matte black “Stealth Prism” to “Arena,” a frame with interchangeable lenses to suit different lighting conditions. With the addition of prescription lenses, Oakley elevated the eyewear game, offering players optimal visual support in vibrant styles.
This new collection demonstrates how brands like Oakley are embedding themselves within digital spaces to reach new, younger audiences while also setting the stage for more fashion-gaming collaborations in the future. After all, video games have evolved beyond entertainment, playing a role in cultivating a consumer-driven society.
Fortnite has now collaborated with various brands ranging from Shell Oil to luxury fashion, using in-game experiences to expose players to products. This trend underscores how games function as both platforms for engagement and as channels for brand influence. With Oakley’s latest collection, Fortnite’s players can don esports eyewear tailored to their interests, reinforcing the game’s role as a cultural touchstone that connects entertainment with style and consumerism.
As gaming continues to grow in cultural influence, collaborations like Oakley x Fortnite showcase the potential for games to serve as platforms that bridge various facets of lifestyle — from sport to fashion. For more write-ups on pop culture, check out our page Unwinnable.
