Everything You Need To Know About the Fortnite X Star Wars Event
Epic Games and Fortnite have done it again. Fortnite has grown into a cultural phenomenon; Epic Games is regularly introducing new live in-game events into the game that break the barrier between video games and other forms of media. Fortnite is no stranger to crossovers with famous franchises. We have seen Fortnite collaborate with the likes of Marvel’s Avengers, Batman, the NFL, Stranger Things and now, Star Wars.
Starting at 1:30 PM EST on December 14, 2019, players could drop out of the Battle Bus and visit the Risky Reels POI to witness the new live in-game event. The event would give players a sneak peek of a scene from the upcoming “Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker” movie.
Event Summary
The event was originally scheduled to kick-off at 2:00 PM EST but was postponed 10 minutes due to “unprecedented demand to get into Fortnite.” Following the brief delay, massive Star Destroyers from the Star Wars franchise appeared in the sky. Players saw the legendary Millenium Falcon appear and partake in an aerial battle with Imperial TIE fighters. After claiming victory in the intense battle, the Millenium Falcon landed and out of it came producer and creator of the Game Awards, Geoff Keighley. Keighley essentially hosted the event and started by introducing the “Rise of Skywalker” director, J.J. Abrams. After a brief live interview filled with commentary and jokes, players were given an in-game poll asking what they thought the exclusive movie scene would be about. Players could step on different tiles to choose between options such as a Jedi mind trick or Knights of the Ren. Jedi mind trick won the vote and the players were correct as a short clip from the movie featuring Resistance hero Rey performing a Jedi mind trick on First Order Troopers ensued.
To cap off the event, players were asked their favorite lightsaber color in a final poll. Immediately following, TIE fighters appeared from the sky, blasting players and the Millenium Falcon while the voice of the movie’s villain, Emperor Palpatine, broadcasted over the game world and threatened players with “the return of the Sith.” Accompanying the Dark Lord’s warning, the sky lightened up and a chest appeared on the main stage. The chest held within it Jedi lightsabers and each player received one depending on the color they voted for. Players could use these lightsabers to battle and dual other players until the game eventually came to an end.
What’s New?
As with many of the previous Fortnite crossovers, new Star Wars-themed items were added to the game following the event. Lightsabers can be looted in Star Wars-themed chests and can be used to block bullets, attack enemy players, and harvest materials. In addition to lightsabers, players can find First Order Blaster Rifles by visiting TIE Fighter crash sites throughout the Fortnite map. These Blaster Rifles drop off of Storm Trooper CPUs and have unlimited ammo.
What Fortnite crossover is complete without purchasable cosmetics? The Fortnite Shop introduced new Star Wars-themed skins, pickaxes, gliders and emotes. Items such as a red Sith Trooper skin and Rey’s Quarterstaff pickaxe are available for purchase via V-Bucks. It appears that there is also more to come. The recently released trailer along with data leaks suggests that more items are on the way including a Kylo Ren skin.
Another Succesful Crossover Event
Regardless of a few hiccups like players not loading into the servers, the event was still a major success. Fortnite continues to pave the way with these groundbreaking collaborations. Just years ago it would have seemed far fetched to imagine a video game hosting a live event to showcase a movie clip or a concert for millions to watch at once. Now, we have fictional universes like Marvel and Star Wars invading the Fortnite world to promote their respective franchises while also giving players unique never-before-seen experiences. This will certainly not be the last Fortnite crossover we see. It will be interesting to see how far Epic Games and Fortnite can go with these amazing collaborations.
Image credit: Epic Games