I'm usually pretty behind whatever Epic Games has cooked up for Fortnite - as a diehard Demigod, I adore the Fortnite Percy Jackson stuff, and I can even handle the weirder side of the game, like the Fortnite x Segway collab. However, I have to admit that the news that some Kim Kardashian skins are coming to the game threw me for a loop.
Two skins are coming to the shop - one of Kim in a jacket with relaxed hair, and one in a skintight body suit, for whatever reason. Each skin is customizable, with a range of colors to choose from, as well as attire in different textures, like glittery and shiny. It all, in theory, sounds cool, and it sort of fits Fortnite's map in Chapter 7, which has a Hollywood theme. But did anyone actually ask for this?
I have nothing against Kim that my usual disdain for reality stars doesn't explain, but bringing her in here feels like an odd choice for Fortnite's brand. While some people online are accusing this of being a cash grab, I'm not even sure it's going to be very popular, given that no one has ever wanted this. I can't see a world in which the Kardashians have influence over pop culture in the way that they once did ten or so years ago, and I'm concerned that Fortnite's playerbase isn't mature enough for Kim's appearance in the game, and that a surge in misogyny may accompany it in the game.
Let the record state that I would like to be wrong. I don't think there's any massive harm in it if Kim does end up being a popular skin, so long as people are being normal about it. Unfortunately, this is the Internet, so people aren't commonly normal about things. If it does end up being okay, then we can store this under 'weird and funny Fortnite skins that had absolutely no consequences for humanity whatsoever', alongside the Segway collab. Until Kim releases, we'll see. You won't be catching me sporting my Kim skin down Battlewood Boulevard.
I'm much more ready for the 67 emote, a meme which, though it's been around for some time, still feels culturally relevant. Coming alongside Kim is a Playboi Carti skin, further cementing the rapper's position as an undisputed icon of the genre. And then there's the Lego Ninjago content, which feels a little weird to list alongside the prior leaks, but nonetheless fills a niche for the younger audience, which is cool.