Fortnite was initially created as a unique and creative take on the Battle Royale genre with a slew of original buyable cosmetics to allow fans to choose their in-game look. Since then, the popularity of the title has grown exponentially and the game's scale has expanded with it, allowing for crossovers with a multitude of unexpected franchises.
Over the four years since the free-to-play Battle Royale hit stores, Epic Games has secured crossover deals with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, John Wick, Halo, and plenty more of the biggest franchises in entertainment history. These crossovers have ranged greatly in scale from simple in-game cosmetics to adapted locations appearing within the Fortnite world.
Having initially started back in 2018 in a crossover event with Avengers: Infinity War's release, Fortnite has continued to grow its relationship with Marvel over the years, allowing for plenty of huge surprises. Last year, an entire season was dedicated to the Marvel superhero world, allowing gamers to unlock some of their favorite Avengers as playable skins.
With the theatrical release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings right around the corner, Fortnite is preparing to debut its next crossover event centered around the martial arts epic.
SHANG-CHI COMING TO FORTNITE
Reddit user SmugMrMime has recently taken to r/FortniteLeaks to share insider information regarding several skins coming to Fortnite in the near future.
Among the leaks came the revelation that a Shang-Chi skin will be coming to the popular Battle Royale on September 2 to coincide with the theatrical release of his MCU debut.
THE FORTNITE AND MARVEL CROSSOVERS CONTINUE
Given the timing of the skin's release, just a day before Shang-Chi's MCU debut arrives in theaters, fans should expect the outfit to be heavily inspired by Simu Liu and his martial arts attire.
Typically, images of upcoming Fortnite cosmetics are leaked after being added to the game files with an update in the days leading up to their release. Since the first look at Shang-Chi's Fortnite design has yet to surface online, it's likely it won't show face until the next update arrives later in August.
Despite having seen a decline in popularity in recent months, Fortnite remains one of the most popular games in the world today. The high number of daily players as well as the insane number of views Battle Royale attracts online make it an ideal marketing outlet for Marvel.
Fortnite has recently dropped in-game outfits for both Loki and Black Widow based on their MCU solo projects. The growing trend of skins dropping in the item shop to tie into the last three live-action Marvel outings seems to lead towards the idea that this theme will continue going forward.
Should this be the case, Marvel and Fortnite fans can potentially look forward to skins being released for Eternals, Hawkeye, and Spider-Man: No Way Home later in the year. Given its expansive ensemble cast with colorful outfits, Eternals seems perfectly suited to a gaming crossover, while Fortnite's younger audience would surely go crazy for a Spider-Man skin.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on September 3, 2021.