The Black & Gold Secret: Why The Aerial Assault Trooper OG Style Is Fortnite's Most Coveted Skin

The Aerial Assault Trooper (AAT) skin remains one of the most polarizing and legendary cosmetics in Fortnite history, and as of December 15, 2025, its status has never been more complicated. For years, this outfit, alongside the iconic Renegade Raider, stood as the ultimate symbol of "OG" status, a badge of honor for players who were there from the very beginning of the Battle Royale phenomenon. Its recent return to the Item Shop—or more accurately, the OG Season Shop—has fundamentally changed the landscape of Fortnite skin rarity, but the true prize now lies in a specific, exclusive variant: the coveted Aerial Assault Trooper OG Style.

The confusion stems from a recent, albeit highly anticipated, re-release that brought the base AAT outfit back into circulation, allowing a new generation of players to acquire a skin previously locked away since Season 1. However, Epic Games, in a gesture to honor the true veterans, introduced an exclusive new style, often referred to as the Black & Gold OG Style, ensuring the original owners maintained their elite status and protected the value of their accounts. This single cosmetic difference is now the focal point of the entire Fortnite collector community.

The Definitive History and Rarity of the Aerial Assault Trooper

The Aerial Assault Trooper is a Rare Outfit that first made its appearance during Fortnite’s inaugural season, Season 1, which was released in late 2017. Its initial method of acquisition is what solidified its legendary rarity. Unlike modern Battle Pass skins or even typical Item Shop items, the AAT required players to meet two specific and demanding criteria.

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• Initial Release: Season 1, late 2017.
• Rarity Tier: Rare Outfit.
• Original Price: 1,200 V-Bucks.
• Original Requirement: Players first needed to reach Level 35 during Season 1 before they were even given the option to purchase the skin. This combination of a high level requirement and a V-Bucks cost meant only the most dedicated, earliest adopters secured the skin, making it one of the rarest skins in Fortnite.

For years, the AAT was often hailed as the rarest skin in the game, rivaling the Ghoul Trooper (original style) and the Black Knight. Its military-themed aesthetic, complete with tactical goggles and a simple, yet striking, color palette, became an instant classic. The associated gear, including the Aerial Assault One Glider, also holds significant nostalgic value among veteran players.

The Recent Re-Release and the OG Season Shop Phenomenon

The narrative of the AAT's eternal exclusivity was shattered with the introduction of the OG Season, and subsequent Item Shop updates. Recent leaks and official announcements indicated that both the Renegade Raider and the Aerial Assault Trooper would make a dramatic return.

The skin returned to the game in a new format, featuring in the OG Season Shop during the Chapter 6 era. The new acquisition method was designed to mirror the original grind, but with a modern twist:

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• New Acquisition Method: Purchaseable in the OG Season Shop.
• New Price: 1,200 V-Bucks.
• New Requirement: Players must first earn a staggering 1,000,000 XP (Experience Points) to unlock the ability to purchase the skin.

While this re-release made the base Aerial Assault Trooper outfit available to a much wider audience, the required 1,000,000 XP barrier ensured that it still required a significant, dedicated effort from the player base, preventing a full devaluation of the skin's prestige. This move by Epic Games was a calculated risk, aiming to satisfy the demand for OG cosmetics while attempting to appease the original owners.

The Black & Gold OG Style: The True Mark of a Veteran

The true distinction and the reason the "Aerial Assault Trooper OG Style" is the most searched and discussed term is the exclusive variant Epic Games granted to original owners. To compensate players who had acquired the skin back in Season 1, Epic introduced a new, non-transferable style, commonly known as the Black & Gold Style.

This exclusive style serves as the ultimate proof of an account's veteran status. The standard Aerial Assault Trooper outfit, available to new purchasers, retains its classic red and gray color scheme. The OG Style, however, features a sleek, metallic Black and Gold accenting, a design theme also seen on other exclusive OG styles like the Renegade Raider and the Paradigm.

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The key takeaway for any collector or enthusiast is this: having the base Aerial Assault Trooper skin is no longer a definitive sign of an OG account, but possessing the Black & Gold OG Style is. This style is an unobtainable cosmetic for new players, forever locked to the accounts that acquired the skin during its initial, pre-re-release window.

The Impact on OG Account Value and the Collector's Market

The introduction of the OG Style has created a clear and significant financial distinction in the highly lucrative market for OG Fortnite accounts. The value of an account is no longer determined by the presence of the AAT skin alone, but by the presence of the Black & Gold variant.

Accounts featuring the original AAT skin, especially when paired with other Season 1/Season 2 items like the Raider’s Revenge Pickaxe, the Aerial Assault One Glider, and the Black Knight, are considered a collector's dream. The Aerial Assault Trooper account value on third-party marketplaces like PlayerAuctions and Eldorado can be astronomical, with the OG Style serving as a primary price driver.

The skin’s exclusivity adds a sense of prestige to the player's profile, showing off a skin that very few players have. The market for these accounts is highly active, with buyers willing to pay premium prices for this undeniable proof of dedication. The AAT’s story is a perfect example of how Epic Games has successfully managed to honor its earliest players while still injecting excitement into the cosmetic pool, making the Aerial Assault Trooper OG Style a timeless piece of digital history.

Beyond the Skin: Topical Authority and LSI Entities

To fully appreciate the significance of the Aerial Assault Trooper OG Style, one must understand its place within the broader ecosystem of Fortnite rarity and collecting. The game's history is peppered with skins that have achieved mythical status, but the AAT and Renegade Raider are in a class of their own due to their Season 1 origins and the pre-Battle Pass acquisition method. Other entities that share this topical authority include:

• Ghoul Trooper: The original purple/green variant is a legendary OG skin, though the skin itself has returned.
• Skull Trooper: Similar to Ghoul Trooper, the original version had an exclusive style (the purple glow) for veterans.
• Black Knight: A Season 2 Battle Pass skin, which remains unobtainable and is a cornerstone of any high-value OG account.
• Recon Expert: Another highly rare skin from the earliest days of the Item Shop.
• Raider's Revenge Pickaxe: The matching pickaxe for Renegade Raider, which is a key component of the OG Season Shop set.
• V-Bucks: The in-game currency used to purchase the skin.
• XP (Experience Points): The metric used to unlock the ability to purchase the skin in both its original and re-released forms.

The ongoing discussion about Fortnite OG skins and their re-release highlights a constant tension between Epic Games and the collector community. While the re-release of the base skin was controversial, the granting of the Black & Gold OG Style was a masterful stroke of community management. It maintained the integrity of the original accounts, ensuring that the true veterans still possess the rarest, most visually distinct version of the skin, securing the Aerial Assault Trooper's place at the apex of Fortnite skin rarity for years to come.