Remember how many players who wondered why Nightwing never made it to the Robin collab were gratefully answered by Fortnite with a hilarious reply that has now gone viral? An official response from Fortnite said on Twitter, “Dick Grayson couldn’t make it to the meet-up,” thereby solidifying all speculation and, perhaps, opening an even bigger window on the possibility of Nightwing appearing anytime soon. It has sent two very prominent leakers, @CloffordLeaks and @purgeking16, into fits of frenzy. The current Robin is the Tim Drake incarnation.
So, what’s the deal? With this mysterious absence of Nightwing-Dick Grayson, the first-ever Robin, is definitely suspicious given Fortnite’s tendencies to just throw in surprise skins mid-way into a season. The comment sections have been taken over by clamoring for Nightwing and Red Hood; others are even suggesting the Boy Wonder Bundle; a bundle that would consist of all the Robins. One user, @Air_Foot_, commented that: “If they add any of the other Robins—Todd, Grayson, Wayne—they should put em in a bundle and call it the ‘boy wonder bundle’.” Not a bad idea.
The hype is not just wishful thinking. The answer Fortnite gave almost reads like a textbook tease, so much like past crumbs prior to their major reveals. I mean come on: Nightwing’s acrobatic combat style and his iconic blue-and-black suit would fit perfectly into Fortnite. The timing seems just right with James Gunn running the helm of the DC cinematic universe and presumably signing off on skins. As @jWAplayerfan puts it: “I’m curious to know what design it’s going to be, since James Gunn is going to be approving the upcoming DC skins that we get.”
But Nightwing is just name alongside many other fan-favorites in-high-demand. Red Hood devotees are very vocally demanding Jason Todd’s edgier alter ego, with the likes of @SlumpedKnight saying, “Give us Nightwing, Red Hood, and Babs now pls” and @vvLOKIvv screaming: “We need Red Hood!!!” And then, the memes keep coming: a reply shows Red Hood glaring at Robin, captioned “Meanwhile Red Hood…”
The important question that remains: When? Fortnite’s enigmatic response would seem to indicate that Nightwing might come later this season, maybe along with other DC. Given the past crossovers from Batman down to Starfire being all-game winners, it is just a matter of when the bat-family grows bigger. But for now, players are left dissecting every single word. In the words of @MrJokerCPoC, “Sounds like they’re saving him for a rainy day.”
One thing that will definitely be true: If and when Nightwing and Red Hood drop in the Item Shop, Epic Games is going to break the internet. And people’s wallets. Because, all jokes aside, nobody is resisting that pair. Now excuse us while we do a 24/7 restless shop refresh marathon.
