Fortnite is once again playing games; just when it was assumed that the upcoming collaborations could not be any more unbelievable, a new deal was declared with none other than Formula 1. The news has been declared: the F1 skins will be available in the Item Shop at 7 PM ET on November 20. In racing, there is a saying: ‘it’s lights out and away we go.’ But what the public opinion is? It is very varied, similar to a car that is skidding out on the first lap.
Let’s start with the most simple matters. This partnership is with the entire F1, not just a single driver. Thus, the gaming world can count on a lot of racing-themed items most likely including some classy and stunning suits, helmets, who knows, maybe even a glider that looks like a rear wing or similar. One gamer even mentioned to the other: ‘Wow. Those gliders are looking great,’ alluding to the teaser that apparently revealed some very impressive glider designs. So, this is a positive point.
However, then happened the…, the beginning of the narrative. And drama is always present with the partnerships of Fortnite. Some people are stating that they are not at all into the new collaboration at all. A user said: ‘Games gone,’ which implies that he is quite unhappy with the new path the game has taken. Another one lamented: ‘These collaborations are not wanted, but everyone is asking for the old movement animations and pickaxe pullout from chapter 4, so add them!’ A section of the audience is giving the impression that Epic is not only concentrating on the wrong things, especially on new skins for profit but also neglecting to solve those problems. An extremely angry player even called Epic a ‘disgrace to the gaming community’ and proposed that no one should buy any skins as long as there are cheating issues. Ouch.
Then there was the whole… Kick controversy. First, the Kick logo is included in the promotional material. For those not in the know, Kick is a streaming platform that has been… let’s say… problematic. An internet user pointed this out, saying, ‘And you really going to leave the KICK logo showing?’ Another one went further: ‘So we partnering with Kick, huh?? That streaming platform that protects racists and pedophiles???’ Just a moment. What was I talking about? Ah yes, the colab. This situation sparked another debate in the comment section about the ethics of it. While some defended the colab saying ‘Hating on a badly run platform’ was a valid point, others considered the whole matter just a mess. It is not a very good look for the partnership of big brands, but it is certainly a bizarre look.
And naturally, the comparison to past collaborations comes up once again. One person said the last Rocket League collab ‘was way better than this one.’ Another user remarked that the previous Lewis Hamilton collab was different since it was with one driver and not the entire F1 organization. So this is a broader, a bigger partnership. But it does feel like Fortnite just throwing every conceivable combination of IP right now. Like, what’s next? a partnership with your local grocery store? Probably.
Some gamers were disappointed that it was a lost chance. ‘Missed opportunity for a new headhunter 😕’ was the tweet from one person who referred to a popular character model that has been without a new skin for a long time. So it looks like even if the company does collaborations, there will always be people wanting something a bit different. You can’t make everyone happy, that’s for sure.
Furthermore, there are also the people who don’t know much about F1 and are confused. One user was so perplexed by the team names that an entire conversation started in which people were saying things like ‘One google search would’ve done wonders’ or ‘YOU not knowing the F1 teams is on YOU, yes. It’s no one’s job to tell you them.’ The discussion became quite heated. It’s amusing how a gaming collaboration can turn into a pop quiz of motoring knowledge.
Still, the situation is not that bad, and a certain group of people is very thrilled about it. ‘Clean crossover speed unlocked,’ one person said, which is a pretty cool compliment. Another just replied ‘This is what we want’ to a friendly comment, so surely, there is a market for this. If you are a fan of both Fortnite and fast cars, then most likely, this is a dream scenario for you. You will be able to quench your thirst for being an F1 driver who also builds walls and carries assault rifles. Makes perfect sense.
In the end, it’s just another day in the Fortnite world. They make a collaboration announcement and the community divides into the ones who love it, the ones who hate it, and those who are not sure yet. Usually, gamers have strong opinions on PlayStation and Xbox platforms as well.
