What is the first thing you think of when you think about Fortnite? Epic Studios, Fortnite's parent company, announced Thursday that a virtual exhibit in Fortnite will be dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. and his crusade for justice.
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Fortnite, the battle royale-style game, has previously featured promotional appearances from artists like Travis Scott or Ariana Grande. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a prominent advocate for nonviolent protest and is now an obvious choice for an in-game feature. Epic claims that the new exhibit, created in partnership with TIME Studios, will teleport players to D.C.63, a reimagined Washington, DC., to see the Lincoln Memorial and National Mall, and hear King's famous 17-minute speech calling on civil rights.
Epic stated that the experience includes museum-inspired points-of-interest and mini-game quests that you can complete together. These activities help players progress through the experience and bring out important themes from Dr. Kings' speech: We move forward when working together.
You shouldn't assume that a violent battle-game took the message and likeness from a man who was actually assassinated in his efforts to broker peace. The King Estate actively participated in the approval of the homage. Eric D. Tidwell Esq, managing director and general counsel at the King Estate, said that the organization was thrilled to collaborate with TIME on Fortnite.
Tidwell stated that, with the advancement of technology, we aim to make every effort to spread his amazing legacy of love, hope, peace, and equality. This interactive presentation of his most famous speech helps us reach that goal.
Perhaps this is what America's youth gamers need to get us moving towards a better, more egalitarian future free of violence and prejudice. Perhaps this will lead to more Fortnite-playing idiots flossing on the National Mall, while Kings I Have a Dream blares in background.
