Fortnite x NewJeans Collaboration Postponed Indefinitely Amid Ongoing Label Dispute

NewJeans’ planned Fortnite collaboration has reportedly been "indefinitely delayed" due to the group’s ongoing legal dispute with their label, ADOR, and parent company, HYBE.

Fortnite x NewJeans Collaboration Put on Hold Amid Label Dispute

The K-pop and gaming worlds were set for something special in late 2024 when credible Fortnite leakers ShiinaBR and HYPEX started dropping hints about a massive NewJeans collaboration. We're talking individual skins for all five members—Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein—plus music packs, emotes, and what was supposed to be an epic virtual concert on January 14, 2025.

So what went wrong? The answer lies in the very public fallout between NewJeans and their label. The drama kicked off in April 2024 when HYBE accused ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin of trying to break away from the company and take NewJeans with her.

Min was temporarily removed from her position, but later came back through a court injunction. The members themselves weren't shy about picking sides either—they held an emotional press conference supporting Min and accused HYBE of mistreatment, creative plagiarism with rookie group ILLIT, and generally undermining ADOR's operations.

Things escalated hard in November 2024 when NewJeans publicly announced they were terminating their exclusive contracts, claiming HYBE and ADOR had breached their agreements. HYBE wasn't having it, rejecting the termination as invalid and pursuing legal action to keep the contracts enforced. As of early 2026, both sides are still locked in court proceedings over contract validity and damages.

Here's the thing about major brand deals in K-pop—they almost always need label approval and coordination to happen. With NewJeans and HYBE/ADOR in active litigation, Epic Games likely decided it wasn't worth the headache. Without proper clearances and the constant risk of legal complications, shelving the event was probably the safest move.

It's worth noting that Fortnite has successfully pulled off K-pop collaborations before. Psy's "Gangnam Style" became one of the game's most iconic emotes and still pops up in the Item Shop regularly. Back in 2019, iKON got the IKONIK skin as a Samsung exclusive, and BTS made waves in 2020 when Fortnite premiered their "Dynamite" music video in Party Royale, complete with two choreography emotes that fans still love.

More recently, the game launched a collab with the Netflix project KPop Demon Hunters in October 2025, featuring character skins, a "Demon Rush" mode, and an in-game concert. Blackpink's Lisa also headlined Fortnite Festival in November 2025 alongside Chapter 7's launch.

For now, fans will have to wait and see if the NewJeans collaboration ever gets back on track once the legal dust settles.