Fortnite collaborations are the new normal

Fortnite has become infamous for its collaborations. One might even argue that there are more collaborations than original concepts at this point. This has divided the playerbase, but Epic's audience continues to increase, almost on a daily basis. The Item Shop refreshes every 24 hours, and it seems like most cycles include a collaboration.

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Collaborations are a core element of Fortnite now

Fortnite collaborations have cemented their status in the game by merging with the storyline. Ultimately, the collaborations in the Battle Pass (like Iron Man or Dr. Doom) or in the actual game (Rick Sanchez, Superman and Batman) represent a way to get players excited. It can be argued that these familiar characters attract more players, which is likely why Fortnite does collaborations.

With Deadpool, the Mandalorian, Rick Sanchez, Superman, Ariana Grande and more as a legitimate part of the storyline, more and more players find themselves drawn to Fortnite. Not only do these inclusions perhaps bring in good money, they also bring new audiences every time.

They’re losing ideas. That has to be the only reason, because collaborations with companies and other mainstream media is expensive and they wouldn’t need to spend all that money if they knew what to put in the game

— Mia (@MiaReckoning) August 17, 2021

There was undoubtedly a large chunk of people who attended the Rift Tour event without ever having played Fortnite. The Nexus War probably also drew in a lot of Marvel fans who hadn't played the game before.

The Fortnite Nexus War was an entire collaborative season. (Image via Epic Games)

For most of Chapter 1, the characters and skins were all original. Now, there are collaborations at every point of the game. Fortnite has shifted away from its original characters, who used to be Epic's bread and butter.

8 ICON SKINS IN ONE SEASON WTF

— Antre (@_antre__) August 17, 2021

It goes beyond cosmetics, too. Fortnite recently released an Among Us-themed game mode (though it's not officially a collaboration, which has upset the Among Us team). Collaborations are seeping into every aspect of the game, and that's not likely to change any time soon. There's no telling how this will affect the game in the long run.

During the Epic Games v. Apple trial, there were plenty of leaks about future collaborations. LeBron James, who has already made his way into the game, was one of them. The Rock, Samus Aran (from the Metroid franchise), Katniss Everdeen, John McClane (Die Hard) and even Lady Gaga are all lined up as potential future collaborations.

One thing is certain: Players who long for the olden days with little to no collaborations will have to adjust to these new circumstances. Fortnite recently conducted a survey asking players about characters and brands, and there's a good chance that most of them will come to Fortnite at some point.

Fortnite is changing significantly. Whether these changes are truly favorable for Fortnite remains to be seen.