Fortnite has been adding exciting new collaborations to their game lately, and Epic’s most recent acquisition may just top all of those. I mean, who doesn’t remember the overrated British virtual band Gorillaz and their quirky ‘cartoon’ hit songs? Well, today marks their official entry into the Fortnite universe. I’ll admit, hearing the @FortniteGame Twitter drop a “special deliver!” right after made me wonder, “why did I think Fortnite was dead?”
If you listened to Clint Eastwood and Feel Good Inc. on loop on your iPod, this must be great news for you. You can now play as all four members of the band, 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel, on the island, in the form of skins. As always with Fortnite’s updates, there is definite drama, and it comes in the form of the discordant community responses. The reactions appear to be a rollercoaster, with excitement on one end and utter bafflement on the other.
The Fortnite community is pale in comparison to Tumblr, and in contrast to them, you can see their meltdown unfold live on Twitter. The meltdowns are largely centered on the new skins. For starters, only two of the band members feature in the battle pass. The remaining two must be purchased from the item shop. In a tone as fittingly harsh as the issue itself, @OakPoison commented, “Only 2 of them are in the pass and only 1 of their songs…” and that’s as cringe as it sounds. Epic, just bring the gang, we don’t have to do this. @DamonWilkinson, on the other hand, offered a more polite opinion: “All 4 should be on the pass as opposed to splitting them up.” No, it really isn’t. The cash grab impression is loud and clear, and people appreciate being called out for it.
And then there’s the music. The expected announcements of new songs have still not arrived, but Fortnite’s Festival mode is now a thing, so people were hoping for a whole setlist of Gorillaz classics. They only added one song to the music pass, and some players think it’s an “obscure” one. @SamNow41 called it “Lame..,” which is just their “mood.” When you get a band this iconic, you kinda expect more than just one track, right? Especially when other artists have gotten way more love in the game.
In the middle of the vocal criticism, numerous other players express excitement. One, @FoxenBruh, tweeted, “Hell yes already got 2D and Noodle one of my favorite bands for a long time.” Both the ease and difficulty of seeing the characters in a game are tangible and obvious in the excitement. @Yoshi revealed, “I was gonna pass on them but noodle is calling my name.” Curious? That’s the power of character design. Noodle is the clear fan favorite.
There’s also a hilarious side to the reactions. Some of the younger players in the community are like… who? @HVCUnit seemed to imply that not everyone knows the band, and @DamonWilkinso11 fired back with “Those who don’t are too young to play this game.” Oof. Generational divide in the Fortnite community, who woulda thought. But @DarkScreen2000 was ready to fight, replying with “I KNOW WHO THEY ARE” with a hype video. The passion is real.
Then, we get the silly ones. Taking a look at Murdoc, a player with the handle @sigmabob1468 said, “They added EDP into Fortnite I’m crying bro.” I mean, there’s a resemblance, isn’t there? It’s a stretch but it made me chuckle. @_Dat_Boi01 was, quite frankly, desperate to get Epic’s attention for an item, “YOU FORGOT THE WINDMILL ISLAND GLIDER! IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO FIX!” Can’t say I don’t appreciate the lore dedication.
Apparently, neither can Fortnite’s community. The comments are so divided in their opinions. The negativity of some comments was striking. Using clown emojis, @SombraYaotl asked, “Tf is this shit? 🤡🤡” and @bigbackunka added, “Nobody asked for this.” It really doesn’t stand out because it’s the same story with every Fortnite update. For each person celebrating, there is another person with a completely different opinion.
The comments also have a touch of international tone to them. In Spanish, @flamingosMingo wrote “En serio Fortnite?!!!!” which translates to “Seriously Fortnite?!!!!” From what I understand, they were complaining about the emotes. They went on further to say they have “cosas que ni dios conoce en Idolos,” which means “things that not even God knows in Idols.” It’s a specific complaint but it goes to show how diverse the customization is.
What’s the takeaway here? It means Fortnite remains the supreme master of crossovers, pulling celebrities from all parts of pop culture. A virtual band from the 2000s appearing in the world’s biggest game? In a way, it’s expected. It is a little reward for the older players who understand the in-joke and a cool discovery for the younger players. The execution might be a little messy with the splintered band and limited songs, but the absurdity of running around as 2D with a shotgun is really something that you don’t get anywhere else. You love it or hate it, it is a moment. And you can bet your V-Bucks that everybody is going to be spotting Murdocs and Noodles in the lobby for weeks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check if I have enough V-Bucks for that Noodle skin. She truly is calling my name.
