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The Balenciaga Fortnite skins have come under fire recently after the luxury fashion brand was heavily criticized for its latest campaign involving children. The incident came to light after several users on the internet criticized Balenciaga's problematic ad. Following the incident, it seems like Epic Games is also trying to distance itself from the brand.
People all around the world have vowed to boycott Balenciaga products, and the gaming community is among those that have made their voice heard. Naturally, Epic Games would also like to avoid the controversy it might get due to a previous collaboration with the luxury fashion brand. As a result, players may never see Balenciaga cosmetics in the Item Shop again.
The use of children and certain controversial documents in the latest Balenciaga campaign was certainly in bad taste. Moreover, the product itself wasn't suited to be represented by children. Therefore, a boycott of the luxury fashion brand would also mean a boycott of all Fortnite Balenciaga skins and outfits.
Want to know what items might feature in the shop tomorrow? Check out our predictions for tomorrow's Fortnite Item Shop
Balenciaga x Fortnite collab under controversy
For the uninitiated, luxury fashion brand Balenciaga collaborated with Epic Games in September 2021 to release a skin line as well as clothes. The Balenciaga Fit Set includes the Game Knight, Shady Doggo, Unchained Ramirez, and Fashion Banshee skins, along with other cosmetics. The luxury collaboration also introduced a cap, denim jacket, and a hoodie.
A few months ago, Loopers boycotted Travis Scott after his controversial concert. Epic Games has also distanced itself from his Icon Series skin since then, with the skin last appearing in the Item Shop 944 days ago. Balenciaga Fortnite skins haven't shown up in the shop for 235 days, and any hopes of seeing them again are now gone.
Although the skins are being boycotted due to the controversy surrounding the luxury fashion brand, this has clearly affected the value of the Balenciaga Fit Set. Accounts with the skins that once cost 1,800 V-Bucks a set will now be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Although an official statement is missing from Epic Games, players can safely assume that the Balenciaga Fortnite skins are not going to return to the Item Shop. The developers were silent even when the tragic Travis Scott incident happened, and players can see a similar pattern in this case.
Fans confirm Fortnite Balenciaga collab is canceled
Immediately after news of the Balenciaga controversy broke, fans took to Twitter to confirm suspicions about the collab. Many fans were confused about the fate of the collab and wondered if Epic Games would be removing them from the Item Shop forever. However, some of them have confirmed that the skins will not be showing up in the Item Shop for a while.
The Balenciaga collab was never well-received in the first place. Therefore, not a lot of players are sad to see the skins banned from the Item Shop, unlike the Travis Scott incident. Although Balenciaga has issued multiple formal apologies, it doesn't look like the controversy will get resolved anytime soon.
The Battle Bus is heading into Fortnite! Check out the final Fortnite item shop today!
