The World Cup in Qatar is underway and Epic has released a new set of skins in Fortnite that enables customisation options.
The World Cup, which is taking place in Qatar is perhaps the most controversial throughout the tournament’s history. The decision for the games to be held there has seen much criticism due to allegations of corruption and the country’s treatment toward migrant workers who helped to build the stadiums, some of who lost their lives. The position on LGBTQ+ rights has also been a focus as same-sex relationships in Qatar are criminalised.
In the past, Fortnite has seen many football tie-ins, with its official football kit additions and even popular players such as England’s Harry Kane and Brazil’s Neymar having their own skins. However, for this World Cup, it would seem that Fortnite is choosing to distance itself… Somewhat… From the official bodies of the tournament, no FIFA, UEFA, or even mention of the World Cup is directly made regarding the new skin releases.
An attempt to offer representation
While the game is choosing to avoid any direct tie-in with the games, the announcement made by Epic states, “Global football fans, Let them know!” The Let Them Know tag is the name of the new set and includes ten outfits which are based on “the beautiful game”. These skins are all customisable with various patterns and colours. The theme of the set is to “let the squad know what you’re all about” and boasts the freedom to create a personalised look.
The blog post that announced the new skins can be seen showing character skins that represent pride colours and as the sets are fully customisable the aim is to allow players to have the freedom to create a look that represents them. Of course, this means players can customise in any way possible and the set isn’t necessarily pride specific. Fortnite has in the past held pride events such as Rainbow Royale and recently released a skin for Dreamer who is a trans superhero.
Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.
