Getting Buff with Fish Thicc: How to Unlock and Use the Buffest Fish in Fortnite

I have seen plenty of favorite skins come and go in this game, but few have captured the community quite like Fish Thicc. He is a massive, ripped version of the classic Fishstick, and honestly, he is one of my favorite additions to the locker.

I am sure you are looking to add this beefy fish to your collection or want to know how he fits into the current state of the game. I have put together this guide based on my time in the Chapter 4 Season 4 Battle Pass and the latest Chapter 6 updates.

How to Get the Fish Thicc Skin in Fortnite

When I first went after this skin, I realized there were no crazy hoops to jump through or extra V Bucks to spend. You just needed the right season pass. To unlock the base version of Fish Thicc, you had to own the Fish Thicc skin or have an active Fortnite Crew subscription.

Here is exactly how I unlocked him and his extra styles:

• Base Outfit: Reach level 26 to open page five and spend 9 Battle Stars.
• Fin dicator Style: Reach level 32 to open page six and spend another 9 Battle Stars.
• Reef Cake Style: This required completing 14 specific Snapshot Quests where I had to help him build a gym for the Coral Buddies.
• Super Level Styles: For the truly dedicated, reaching level 200 unlocked the Yellow Diamond version.

Since he was a Battle Pass exclusive, he is currently unavailable for new players to purchase. However, I always keep an eye out for a potential remix or a shop version in a different costume, especially now that OG seasons are a regular thing. This would be a good time to fish in the lego version to earn that XP.

Earning XP Fast to Reach Level 26

I did the math on the grind to level 26 so you can see what it actually takes. Each level in that season required 80,000 XP. To hit level 26 and get the base skin, I had to earn a total of 2,000,000 XP. While that sounds like a lot, I found that focusing on accolades is much faster than just hiding in a bush.

• Discovering a Named Location: 8,000 XP. This is huge because it is the equivalent of surviving for nearly 8 hours in a single moment.
• First Elimination: 150 XP.
• Searching a Chest: 135 XP.
• Survival XP: You gain 17 XP for every full minute you stay alive once the first circle appears.

If you just play passively, you would need over 117,000 minutes of survival to hit that goal. I highly recommend aggressive play styles like landing at new spots or getting early eliminations to cut that time down significantly.

How Battle Stars and Milestones Work

I noticed that a lot of players get confused by how Battle Stars are handed out. It is not just 5 stars every single level. Fortnite uses a milestone system that rewards you for hitting certain markers.

• Standard Levels: 2 stars.
• Levels ending in 5: 5 stars.
• Levels ending in 0: 10 stars.

Every 10 levels you actually walk away with 31 stars. This means by the time you reach level 100, you have 308 stars just from leveling up, which is enough to get through a good chunk of the rewards.

Finding the Shore Shack and Fish Thicc Location

If you want to find Fish Thicc on the map to buy gear or hire him, you have to head to the Shore Shack. It is a landmark located northwest of Relentless Retreat. When I visit him there, I always check the basement.

• The Secret Base: There is an underground bunker that connects the main house to the workout garage.
• Loot Profile: The shack usually has 4 chests and 5 ammo boxes, making it a decent hot drop.
• NPC Services: He sells the Infiltrator Pump Shotgun for 250 gold.

Once you build up your Character Rep by doing his Snapshot Quests, he offers even more. At Rep 3, I could buy a Rocket Ram for 100 gold. By Rep 10, I could actually hire him to be my bodyguard for 250 gold.

Master the Infiltrator Pump Shotgun Stats and Meta

Fish Thicc is the main source for the Infiltrator Pump Shotgun, which is a weird hybrid weapon. It feels like a mix between a pump and an automatic. Epic has tweaked the stats on this gun several times, and I have kept track of the changes.

• Fire Rate: It was originally 1.2 but was later slowed down to 1.0 to allow for higher damage per shot.
• Damage: The common version deals about 91 damage, while the Mythic version can hit for 116.
• Critical Multiplier: It has a 1.75x headshot multiplier.
• Range: This gun has a tighter spread and better range than most shotguns, similar to the old Heavy Shotgun.

I have found that the 0.42 equip speed is a bit slower than the Sentinel, so you really have to time your shots carefully when box fighting.

From Heist Crew to Supernova Academy Lore

The story of how Fishstick became Fish Thicc is actually pretty cool. It is not just about him hitting the gym. In the lore, his transformation is tied to Slap Juice. He was a Slap enthusiast who worked as the muscle for Nolan Chance and the Heist Crew during Chapter 4.

But his story did not end with the heists. In Chapter 6, I discovered he has a much bigger role.

• The Supernova Academy: He is now the gym teacher at the academy.
• The Sweat Force: He is in charge of this specific association, training new heroes to fight against the demon Daigo.
• Hero Mentor: He works alongside Midas, Superman, and Hope as an active flight instructor and combat trainer for the Supernovas.

It is amazing to see a character go from a goofy fish to a high stakes superhero mentor.

The Real World Value of Fish Thicc in 2026

If you already have Fish Thicc in your locker, you are actually sitting on an account that is worth more now than when you first bought the pass. This is because of the change that happened between 2023 and 2026. The possibility of getting this may be a great way to get back into Fortnite.

• V Bucks Inflation: A basic pack that used to give 1,000 V Bucks for 7.99 now only gives 800 V Bucks for 8.99.
• Increased Skin Costs: If you bought a legendary skin with the new rates, it would cost you nearly 5 dollars more than it did a few years ago.
• Battle Pass Returns: The Battle Pass used to give back more V Bucks than it cost, but that margin has shrunk.

Because Fish Thicc was earned during a more generous era of the Fortnite economy, he represents a high value legacy asset. I tell my friends all the time that these older Battle Pass skins are becoming the gold standard for account valuation.