Summary
Fortnitecould have added a Samus AranMetroidskin for its players, but Nintendo’s demands led to it not happening. This comes courtesy of Epic Games' former Chief Creative Officer, who revealed some interesting details about the potentialFortnitedeal and how it fell apart.
Fortnitehas had myriads of partnerships with cultural icons at this point, bringing people from the real world and those from games, movies, and other mediums to the game. Back in 2020,Fortnitebegan bringing in characters from other video games series to the delight of its fans. These additions have included iconic characters and franchises likeGod of War’s Kratos andHalo’s Master Chief, as well as faces likeTomb Raider’s Lara Croft andResident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy. As a recent interview reveals, Nintendo was approached by Epic Games about the possibility of including Samus in this list, but the two companies couldn’t come to agreement about Nintendo’s requirements.
Former Epic Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard recently spoke withGame File(viaVideoGamesChronicle) about the deal, shedding some light on the matter. The idea of a Samus skin coming toFortnitewas revealed during theEpic v Apple lawsuitas having once been part of Epic’s plan, but nothing further was known about it beyond leaks and rumors. Now, Mustard has explained that Epic Games wanted to add Samus and approached Nintendo on the matter. As it turns out, Nintendo was actually enthusiastic about the idea, and would have agreed to the addition, but only if Samus had been exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version ofFortnite.
According to Mustard, Nintendo “got really hung up on their characters showing up on platforms that weren’t their platforms.” This was a deal killer forFortnite, as Epic Games has wanted the game to be identical across all platforms it’s playable on. Limiting Samus to the Nintendo Switch would have not only cut into the profits generated by the skin, but also would have meant setting a precedent for limiting what’s available in the game based on the system a player used. Unfortunately, Nintendo and Epic couldn’t come to an agreement that would satisfy both companies, so Samus' addition was scrapped. Comparatively, Sony apparently didn’t balk at the idea, leading to formerPlayStation-exclusive Kratos joiningFortniteon Xboxand other platforms.
Nintendo and its Characters
This is in keeping with the way Nintendo has conducted its business over the years. Most Nintendo-owned characters have rarely appeared outside of Nintendo’s own properties, and even less so on other gaming systems. The main exception to this would be mobile devices, with games likeMario Kart TourandAnimal Crossing: Pocket Campbeing added to iOS and Android devices. However, Nintendo only expanded its business to mobile devices in relatively recent times compared to its long history as a video game company.
Unfortunately, barring any major changes in the way Epic or Nintendo run their games and do business, this also means it’s highlyunlikely any other Nintendo characters will be added toFortnite.
Fortnite
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