Fortnite: Ariana Grande concert loses 'Best Metaverse Performance' award to PUBG's Blackpink live event

When it comes to events in the metaverse, no one does it quite like Fortnite does. Epic Games takes virtual concerts seriously, and it shows. From in-game cosmetics to multiple show timings for the event, they do not hold back.

After having Marshmello and Travis Scott perform in the virtual space, Ariana Grande took center stage last year. The developers even tied her into the storyline with visuals from the concerts showcasing the in-game history and, in a sense, the multiverse.

While there's no data to confirm the number of attendees for the show, it's speculated that it's in the millions. Given her fame, this isn't too difficult to imagine. However, for some fans of Fortnite, the fact that the Rift Tour didn't win the "Best Metaverse Performance" award is hard to digest. Here's why.

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Fortnite got 'rifted' out of the 'Best Metaverse Performance' award

The Rift Tour occurred during the height of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 7. According to fans, the visuals of the event were stunning. While some still debate whether it was better than Astronomical, that's an argument for another time.

The current pressing issue is that the Rift Tour didn't win MTV's Best Metaverse Performance award. This performance lost to PUBG's Blackpink event, which according to fans, is a "cheap clone of Fortnite's event."

While this may seem like a rather harsh and rude thing to say, it's not far from the truth. At first glance, PUBG's Blackpink event does look similar to the Rift Tour. So similar that prominent leaker and data miner HYPEX posted pictures of both events side by side, and at first glance, they blend seamlessly.

A third party who has never played either of the games may be unable to tell the two apart. Given that the Rift Tour took place in August 2021, whereas PUBG's Blackpink event occurred three weeks ago, it's easy to see why some are calling it a clone. Here's what a few fans had to say about the whole ordeal:

Moving on from the similarity of the events, there are a few other reasons why PUBG's event took the title. For starters, the Rift Tour was held in August 2021, more than a year ago. PUBG's Blackpink event is barely a month old. Given how relevant it is in terms of time, more people are bound to vote for it.

Another major factor to take into consideration is the fanbase. K-pop has some of the most loyal fans in the music industry. Since the award is more closely related to the artist than the game they performed in, Blackpink fans voted fiercely to ensure their victory.

While Fortnite may have a strong community, they've never needed to vote for the game to win anything. For many, the metaverse is larger than awards, and the storyline is all that matters to them. This leads to people just not bothering to vote.

Considering the other nominees, it is highly unlikely that Fortnite would have won anyway. Apart from Blackpink, BTS was also nominated for its performance in Minecraft. If one didn't win, the other surely would.

Win or lose, Donald Mustard and Epic Games will keep churning out content that loopers have come to know and love. With Chapter 3 Season 4 set to begin soon, nothing else matters to loopers at the moment.