Fortnite players shocked as March Through Time event adds MLK to the game

Epic Games and Time Studios made an announcement on August 26 that they are bringing a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. event to Fortnite, shocking Fortnite players and the gaming community in general.

The title has become the king of crossovers in the battle royale space. From Marvel to Alien vs Predator, Fortnite has become a hub for all different types of entertainment franchises to be represented in.

Fortnite has also hosted some huge events like a Travis Scott concert, which brought the games’ player base up to record numbers. The game also hosted an event called “We The People” in July 2020, highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement.

While the popular game has touched on political topics in the past, it’s bringing in a serious historical figure to Fortnite, and players are in pure disbelief by it.

MLK joins Fortnite and fans react

The new Fortnite event is titled March Through Time, and is a celebration of the life and achievements of MLK.

Epic Games community manager Ryan Broseker uploaded a blog post describing the event saying, “March Through Time will teleport players nearly 60 years in the past to a re-imagined Washington, DC called D.C. 63. Developed by members of the Fortnite Creative community, this fully immersive experience will allow players to witness the Civil Rights teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King.”

The event includes a museum point of interest, as well as quests that be completed through co-op. Players are able to unlock a DC:63 locker spray by completing the Dr. King and Civil Rights movement challenges.

Fans divided

The video sparked an immediate reaction on social media, as the clashing of the seriousness of MLK’s message and the cartoon-styled Fortnite did not seem like a natural fit.

They bouta have MLK flossing on fortnite I’ve seen enough

— Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) August 26, 2021

A Twitter user named jeo highlighted the strangeness this event will cause in-game saying, “I understand the message and the reasoning behind MLK in Fortnite but it’s going to cause people to be acting real weird in game.”

The event’s interactive museum is currently playing a loop of MLK’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech, which players can dance in front of.

MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech is currently being celebrated with a interactive online museum in Fortnitepic.twitter.com/baWiQPtnT5

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 26, 2021

Fans are also pointing out the poor taste of putting MLK in a video game about shooting each other with guns.

Overall, it seems there is no real consensus in relation to Fortnite including MLK, though having such a huge game share his messages of inequality and injustice is undoubtedly a positive boost. Some players are just concerned it’s not the right fit.

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