Fortnite is a game that has consistently pushed the boundaries of what exactly a “game” is. In fact, Epic Games has arguably turned Fortnite into more than just a game—it is a virtual playground where players have been able to participate in concerts and other events over recent years, very much in keeping with the concept of a “metaverse.” So, Epic was thinking ambitiously when it decided to create an interactive exhibit dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. called “March Through Time.” TIME Studios worked with Epic to make the event possible.
Alas, this was an idea that failed in its execution, largely due to the very nature of Fortnite and the players participating. Let’s take a look at what Epic and Time intended versus what actually unfolded.
Fortnite Created “March Through Time” as a Tribute to MLK
What happened was this. Epic created a map called D.C. 63 for Fortnite. The map recreates the National Mall. Time explains, “In the experience, players will travel to the Lincoln Memorial and United States National Mall, where Dr. King gave his iconic speech for Civil Rights. March Through Time extends with museum-inspired points of interest and quests where players will work together with others to complete various collaborative mini-games. These activities progress players through the experience and bring to life important themes of Dr. King’s speech: we move forward when we work together.”
It was a good idea in theory—but Epic and Time forgot to account for one key factor—how players themselves would appear and behave at the exhibit.
First, There Was the Issue of Fortnite Skins
One of the problems with the event was visual in nature. Basically, think about how the average Fortnite player appears in the game. Fortnite players can purchase Fortnite skins to determine how they look. The typical Fortnite skin is fun, playful, and colorful. Quite a few are related to pop culture in some way.
The thing is, having a crowd of players in silly outfits wandering around a digital Mall exhibit concerning the serious topic of racism in the real world does not really “work,” visually speaking. There is just something off about players dressed like Thanos and Daredevil listening to the “I Have a Dream” speech.
Such players probably intended no disrespect—they simply came as they were, and likely thought nothing of it. But they would probably never turn up at the same type of event IRL dressed like that. This fact illustrates just how far-removed Fortnite is from the real world at this point. It does not mean Fortnite is not a valid metaverse. It just means that we cannot lose sight of the fact that context does not flow seamlessly between our real world and certain virtual environments.
Fortnite Players Did Not All Take the Exhibit Seriously
But a worse problem came in the form of problematic behavior. The context of Fortnite is a game. Players are encouraged to have fun and be expressive. Many of them are kids. So, when they went to the “March Through Time” exhibit, they continued to behave the same way.
Perhaps the worst offenders were those who felt a need to play around with the whip emote:
Not cool. Some of this behaviour might have come from adult racists. Some of it probably came from immature children (Is there a difference? We’re not sure). Epic did think to disable a lot of emotes for the event, but this was among the ones that remained available. Why? One theory is that under contract with DC Comics, perhaps it was not possible for Epic to disable the emote.
Fortnite Has Had a Lot of Groundbreaking Successes, But This Wasn’t One of Them
Reactions to the “March Through Time” Fortnite exhibit have been mixed, though largely negative. Some people do feel that Fortnite was trying to do something valuable here. But most agree that the context of the game world and the context of the real world simply were doomed to clash.
Regardless of whether you decide to check out the exhibit for yourself, there is plenty going on in the world of Fortnite. In fact, Chapter 2 – Season 8 will be starting on September 13th. You can click here to view a full list of Fortnite items to buy in preparation for the new season.