I must protect Fortnite’s sprites at all costs

Fortnite has loads of goofy characters, like the anthropomorphized banana Peely and the buff cat Meowscles, but the game’s recent update just introduced a new personal favorite: little creatures called sprites.

Sprites are new items/creatures that were added to Fortnite as part of the Chapter 6 Season 1: Hunters update on Sunday. They wander around the map, and when you see one you can pick it up and use it, with each kind giving you a different special power. For example, the wind sprite creates a gust of wind that boosts your player into the air, whereas the blue shield sprite restores your shield.

The creatures have simple designs. They look like the developers gave Squishmallows legs and turned them into adorable cartoons. (The air one almost looks like a walking fluffy tooth with a face.) They have big, emotive eyes and faces that react to the environment around them. If you set one down, it will smile, but if you run with one tucked under your character’s arm, it will cry.

I just love the different ways you can interact with them. You can offer them up at a shrine for rewards and see them harness a godlike power. You can wear them like Back Bling. If you have one out in the storm, then the little creature will get upset and throw punches up at the sky.

I can definitely see why so many people online are already obsessed with them. My TikTok feed is already littered with videos highlighting cute moments with the sprites.

While these creatures definitely have practical value — offering them up at a shrine gives you all kinds of useful items — I mainly appreciate them for how cute they are. Whenever I see one hopping along, I can’t help but smile.