Fortnite’s collaboration with yet another wild animal caught everyone off guard; still, if one stops to think about it, it does add up. HYPEX, the hype creator of leaks, has just featured ‘Botch’ from Dumb Ways to Die in a much greater way and the gamers are already crazy over this humorous character being added to the game.
Dumb Ways to Die, the game which is currently in the list of the most popular games worldwide, was an animated public service announcement about train safety that went viral and turned into a gigantic success in the mobile game industry. A long line of cute but dead characters is now becoming a part of Fortnite along with Botch skin and the latter is keeping gamers’ mouths wide open about customization possibilities.
There are three different styles for the skin that completely alter its appearance – cel-shading gives it the look of a vintage cartoon, the ordinary style makes it look like a real plush toy, and the damage reactive style shows that it is a loved and used toy. A player made an intelligent comment regarding the strategy and said, ‘This might be the best non cel-shading style they ever did. It is really a plush instead of just the same texture but without the cel-shading.’ And, they are correct – the amount of detail given to the production is quite impressive for what could have just been another random collaboration.
The community’s criticism also comes in with every Fortnite reveal, and this time they are quite vocal. Many players are enjoying the game collaborations, one of them expressed his happiness: ‘I totally love these smaller game collabs so much. Just a cute back bling of one of the characters plus an emote that will be surely satisfying for the fans.’ Others, however, have shifted their focus to issues like the exact date of skin release and whether it is worth the price.
The cel-shading debate that always comes up with Fortnite skins is also present here. One user pointed out: ‘Is there a reason more items with cel shading can’t have edit styles like this that DO NOT look like plastic?’ which is very much applicable considering how many cel-shaded skins end up looking kind of cheap in-game. The selection of styles for Botch where both cel-shaded and normal plush seem to be welcomed by players who want more options.
Moreover, there is an ongoing talk about what should or shouldn’t be included in Fortnite. Some users commenting on the issue became engaged in the discussion with one stating that ‘Dumb Ways to Die have more history on the internet than that shit’ referring to other possible collaborations. Another user simply called it a ‘stupid bag’ without any further clarification, which is the typical behavior on Twitter.
Epic has released the damage reactive style, and it is indeed receiving great praise, for the reason that instead of the conventional blood effects, the designers represented the damage using stitching which is absolutely fitting for the plush toy aesthetic. Someone tweeted, ‘I really love the way they used stitching as the blood lol’ along with laughing emojis, indicating that even the gory details are done with the signature Dumb Ways to Die charm.
One can’t help but wonder about the intriguing scenario in which Fortnite is blending completely different gaming realms as has been the case with the majority of the online games. From the giants of the AAA titles to mobile hits, everything seems to be accepted in Fortnite’s ecosystem these days. One user made a joke that ‘after Skibidi Toilet, everything will just come to Fortnite’ which… honestly, at this point, might even turn out to be true.
The revelation of this leak coincidentally fits perfectly within the new content hunger of the players that is usually the case between the different seasons. While some users complain about the game’s status and others have trouble finding matches, new characters like Botch give the players a chance to talk about something that doesn’t relate to the usual gameplay complaints.
It’s pretty clear that Epic Games is aware of the advantages of these smaller and unconventional collaborations. While the Marvel and Star Wars crossovers bring huge crowds, these weird and unexpected additions are the ones that keep the game fresh and unpredictable. The Dumb Ways to Die franchise may not have the same broader appeal as other collabs but it surely possesses cultural relevance with internet users that is reflected on many players.
As far as when we will be able to get Botch, the question remains unanswered, but players have started to make guesses already based on the standard item shop rotation. The positive response to the leaked styles has made it likely that the item will sell out fast. The fact that there are multiple styles means that the customers receive more value for their money and the special plush toy look makes the skin more distinctive among the other ones in the game.
So keep monitoring the item shop because this little one from Dumb Ways to Die could be your next main skin. No matter if you are a fan of the classic cel-shaded look or the normal plush style, Botch has a unique offering amidst the similarity of Fortnite cosmetics. And in a game where being noticed is an asset, that is rather valuable. The game is available on PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
