Fortnite removes Travis Scott's emote from item shop following Astroworld 2021 incident

Every day at 5:00 am Eastern Time, the Fortnite item shop rotates and new items are added in. During the latest rotation, an old Icon Series emote featuring Travis Scott was added back as well.

The emote in question is "Out West" which was introduced to the game during Chapter 2 Season 3. After staying in the item shop for a while, the emote was promptly removed.

It's clear that this was an oversight. The developers didn't just remove the emote but cleared the entire section. This was probably done to save time and avoid backlash.

Based on the information provided by the developers, the "Daily" section will be added back during the next item shop rotation. Although the official statement didn't state the obvious, fans were quick to catch on.

Given the severity of the events that unfolded during the Astroworld concert, many within the community stated that this was a good call and believe that the decision to remove the emote saved Epic from a lot of backlash.

Why not just remove the "Out West" instead of removing the entire section?

According to a few fans, the developers decided to remove the entire section rather than just one emote, to stay out of media headlines. If the emote was the only item targeted, Epic Games will have to provide an answer regarding the same. However, removing the entire section can be quoted as a "technical issue."

What happens next? Will all Travis Scott Fortnite cosmetics be removed?

Even though the developers haven't specifically issued a statement regarding the availability of Travis Scott Fortnite cosmetics, it's safe to assume they will be vaulted.

While the skin itself will more than likely be permanently vaulted, emotes may float about in the item shop after some time. However, the question to be asked here is: "Should any cosmetics associated with Travis Scott be made available for purchase?"

Given that children met with a fatal accident during the concert, having cosmetics associated with that artist in-game may not bode well with parents. Psychological factors will come into play and usher in a domino effect, which in turn may force parents to get their child to stop playing Fortnite.

Suffice to say that all cosmetics will be vaulted for good. While many young fans and players will be unhappy about the move, the community at large will welcome the decision.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinion of the writer.

About the author

Matthew Wilkins is one of the top writers at Sportskeeda Gaming, having crossed 16 million views in just over three years. Matthew currently writes for Fortnite, MMO, and other sections as well. Speaking with developers of the Total War franchise and reviewing numerous AAA games have been key milestones in his career so far.

Matthew is a Communicative English Major, and his skills and experience have helped him dig deep in the world of esports and gaming journalism. He prioritizes accuracy and ensures nothing is second-guessed. Being connected to the community is an important aspect of his life, as it helps him keep track of credible insiders and leakers to be among the first to report on breaking news.

Matthew grew up playing video games, with Age of Empires serving as his gateway into the world. Currently, he leans towards real-time as well as turn-based strategy games, 4x, and similar genres, and frequently binge-plays solo or multiplayer titles on PC. His love for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Stellaris are unparalleled, matched perhaps only by Fortnite. Matthew is also a vocalist and performs a variety of genres like Glam Rock, Pop, Heavy Metal, and Rock when not writing.

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