# Player Reference Device loses the player's skin after that player dies, but only on that player's own client — reproducible when wearing Kicks

**URL:** <https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/player-reference-device-loses-the-players-skin-after-that-player-dies-but-only-on-that-players-own-client-reproducible-when-wearing-kicks/2753923>\
**Category:** Issues and Bug Reporting\
**Tags:** Status-Closed, fortnite-creative, unreal-editor-for-fortnite, Reso-Fixed, fortnite\
**Created:** [September 2, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/player-reference-device-loses-the-players-skin-after-that-player-dies-but-only-on-that-players-own-client-reproducible-when-wearing-kicks/2753923 "2026-09-02T02:50:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kmahl](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@kmahl](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/kmahl)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/player-reference-device-loses-the-players-skin-after-that-player-dies-but-only-on-that-players-own-client-reproducible-when-wearing-kicks/2753923/1 "2026-09-02T02:50:17Z")

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### Summary

A player\_reference\_device correctly shows a registered player’s name and  
stats at all times, but the hologram falls back to the generic default  
character after that player dies. The hologram never recovers, even after  
the player respawns.

### Please select what you are reporting on:

Unreal Editor for Fortnite

### What Type of Bug are you experiencing?

Character

### Steps to Reproduce

1. Create an island with a single player\_reference\_device. Default settings,  
no Verse code, no other devices involved.
2. Add a button device and bind its interaction to the device’s  
“Register Player” function.
3. Join the island with an account that has Kicks equipped.
4. Press the button to register yourself. The hologram correctly shows your  
outfit, including the Kicks.
5. Eliminate yourself (fall damage or self-inflicted explosive).
6. Respawn and look at the hologram again.

### Expected Result

The hologram keeps showing the registered player’s outfit.

### Observed Result

The hologram shows the generic default character. The player’s name and  
tracked stat above it remain correct. It never recovers for the rest of  
the session. Re-registering does not fix it — Clear() followed by  
Register(), Disable()/Enable() cycles, and repeated registration over  
several seconds were all tested from Verse with no effect.

A second player watching the same hologram at the same moment still sees  
the correct outfit, which is what makes this a client-side rendering issue  
rather than a device state issue.

### Platform(s)

PC

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**Author:** ![Bug-Reporter](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/bug-reporter/32/997076_2.png) [@Bug-Reporter](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Bug-Reporter)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/player-reference-device-loses-the-players-skin-after-that-player-dies-but-only-on-that-players-own-client-reproducible-when-wearing-kicks/2753923/6 "2026-11-05T22:00:14Z")

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FORT-1148160 is ‘Closed’ as ‘Fixed’. The issue will be addressed in 43.00.
