Eight years after the release of the Battle Royale mode that took the world by storm, collaborations have become a defining feature ofFortnite. The game’s official modes regularly incorporate crossovers from popular media, brands, and celebrities. After aStar Wars-themed mini-season, Chapter 6 Season 3 ofFortniterecently kicked off with a superhero theme that brought DC’s Superman and Robin to the battle pass.
As has become the trend withFortnite, collaborations won’t just be restricted to the battle pass this season. Multiplenew collabs forFortnitehave already been announced and released, including a brand-new icon skin. However, asFortnite’s roster of crossovers continues to expand, it raises an interesting question about the game’s identity and consistency.
The Double-Edged Sword of Fortnite’s Collabs
Thelatest celebrity to receive an icon skin inFortniteis Son Heung-min. The popular South Korean soccer player isn’t the only new collab coming in this season, however. New cosmetics based onBob’s Burgers,King of the Hill, andThe Cleveland Showdropped in the item shop this past Friday.Fortnitehas also teased that it will be crossing over withSquid Gamelater this season. But with each new collab,Fortniteseems to be straying further and further away from the season’s core theme, as seen when looking at the latest batch of crossovers:
How Fortnite’s Collabs Do — and Don’t — Connect to Seasonal Themes
Ever since Deadpool became the first-ever battle pass collab skin all the way back in Chapter 2 Season 2, collaborations have been an integral part of each season. Often, these crossovers will relate to a season’s theme. Chapter 4 Season 1’s medieval season collaborated withThe Witcher, Chapter 5 Season 3’s post-apocalyptic season collaborated withFallout, and the current superhero season is collaborating with theupcomingSupermanmovie. However, asFortnite’s output of crossover content continues to increase each season, the majority of each season’s collabs have little to nothing to do with the overarching theme.
A lack of cohesion can be disruptive in a season. For example, inChapter 4 Season 4’s heist season, many players were confused and even frustrated when Ahsoka Tano and Khaby Lame were revealed as prominent collaborations. Crossovers like this can make it feel like Epic is throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Especially in instances when the random collabs are clearly only there to promote an upcoming show or event, it can take away the fun factor and make the new cosmetics feel like nothing more than a cash grab.
On the other hand, the variety of crossovers offered byFortniteat any given time can go a long way in increasing player engagement. The influx of collabs means that players will never be lacking new content. On top of that, if certain players aren’t a fan of a given season’s theme, then at least there will potentially be some new cosmetics or events that they can have fun with in the meantime.Fortnitehas also tried to find a middle ground in some recent seasons. Magneto didn’t really fit the post-apocalyptic vibe of Chapter 5 Season 3, soFortnitegave him an alternate survivalist outfit that felt perfectly in line with the theme. Similarly, in the Japanese-inspired Chapter 6 Season 1,Fortniteadded a Darth Vader Samurai and aNinja Knight Batman skinto the game.
Collaborations helpedFortniteto grow into the industry titan that it is today, but for better and for worse, as more crossovers are added to the game, every season runs the risk of losing its own identity and becoming a random collection of pop culture icons. And to think thatDonald Mustard almost didn’t allow any collaborations intoFortnitein the first place.
