Challenges and Speculations Surrounding the Inclusion of Iconic Nintendo Characters in Fortnite
Epic Games, the mastermind behind Fortnite’s extensive crossover events, has successfully brought characters from various franchises into the battle royale universe. However, one notable absence has been characters from Nintendo’s beloved universe, including Mario, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, Link, Zelda, and Samus. Sax Persson, Epic’s head of ecosystem in Fortnite, recently shed light on the challenges they’ve faced in attempting to secure these iconic characters for Fortnite.
Persson acknowledged the difficulty of convincing Nintendo to allow their characters into the Fortnite metaverse. Despite successful collaborations with Star Wars, Naruto, and various gaming and entertainment icons, Epic Games’ endeavors with Nintendo characters seem to have hit a roadblock.
“I don’t know what the word for, like, making diamonds is,” expressed Persson. “Nintendo has their strategy, and we have our strategy, and we hope at some point [to use their characters]. Our players would love it.”
Fortnite has welcomed characters from diverse realms, including Master Chief, Kratos, Indiana Jones, John Wick, Spider-Man, and even non-gaming personalities like Ariana Grande and Eminem. The recent addition of LEGO Fortnite showcased the game’s versatility in collaboration.
The speculation regarding Nintendo’s reluctance centers on Fortnite’s multiplatform nature, enabling characters to traverse across different consoles. It is suggested that Nintendo may be hesitant to allow its characters to exist in a space where they are not exclusive, contrasting with their meticulous brand strategy.
Kit Ellis, a former Nintendo public relations manager, emphasized Nintendo’s self-sufficiency, stating, “They don’t need Fortnite. They’re bigger than Fortnite. The stuff that they do is bigger than Fortnite.”
Ellis elaborated on the decades spent building the company’s characters and IP, highlighting the immense success of properties like the Super Mario Bros. film and the Switch. He concluded that allowing Nintendo characters to be part of a game focused on shooting people, and deviating from Nintendo’s brand essence, would not align with their strategic vision.
Despite the challenges and seemingly dim prospects, Epic Games remains hopeful, showcasing their persistent pursuit of bringing Nintendo characters into the Fortnite universe. The ongoing saga between these gaming giants continues to captivate fans, leaving the possibility of a collaboration in the future an open question.