First Non-Binary Fortnite Skin Leaked
While Epic Games' Fortnite has always been a colourful caper for kids and adults alike, it could be about to add a whole new palette of colours and fly the Pride flag high. Epic has tried to promote diversity in-game, but now, the first non-binary Fortnite skin could be on the way to the superstar shooter.
Last year, Epic games threw its Rainbow Royale event and encouraged LGBTQ+ players to wear their colours with pride. As well as a rainbow flag appearing in Creative Mode, the shop had free items to support a whole rainbow of representations. The event was largely a success, but it led to continued questions about when/if non-binary skins could be added in-game.
Is A Fortnite Non-Binary Skin On The Way?
A new Save The World Bundle includes Toni. The skin features a nondescript character with long hair and a baddy orange jumper. Toni could be taken as a gender-neutral name, however, it's the skin's description that hints they'll be the first non-binary Fortnite skin. Unlike the many Apex Legends LGBT characters, Fortnite has been a little slow on the uptake.
According to the leak, Toni's description reads, "They're a classic throwback with style to spare." It definitely sounds like Toni could be the first non-binary Fortnite skin, but at the time of writing, there's no official word from Epic about how Toni identifies.
As you can imagine, the comments are already filling with the usual toxicity that Toni looks too much like a guy or a girl. The skin is supposedly part of the v20.40 update that will take us through the end of Chapter 3 Season 2 and into what comes next. Even though this is potentially massive news, it remains to be seen whether Toni's identity is buried in an update that adds an end of season live event.
Does Fortnite Have LGBTQ+ Skins?
While Toni would be a first, previous skins like Harley Quinn and Mystique are canonically bisexual in the comic books they came from. Earlier this year, we had the game's first official LGBTQ+ skin when the Icon Series added content creator Chica to the Fortnite. Chica identifies as bisexual, and at the time of release, she gushed about being able to represent both the LGBTQ+ and Puerto Rican communities.
If Toni is Fortnite's first non-binary skin, it will be interesting to see whether Epic makes much fuss out of their arrival or casually slips it under the radar. It's a double-edged sword, and while Toni's inclusion could mark a major milestone, there's an argument that we shouldn't have to turn it into a big deal - reiterating that Fortnite has always accepted non-binary players without singling them out. With the Toni leak now out there, we'll have to wait and see when they jump off the Battle Bus.
