Fortnite teams up with Jordan brand for new Downtown Drop LTM

Fortnite’s latest collaboration is a bit different for the insanely popular battle royale. 

Season 9 brought Fortnite players John Wick-inspired skins, map locations, and challenges. Before that, there was the Avengers: Endgame crossover, complete with a Thanos-themed battle royale with Infinity Stone power-ups.

But this time, Fortnite isn’t teaming up with a blockbuster movie or a superhero. This time, Epic’s insanely successful title is teaming up with Jordan, the world’s biggest sportswear brand. 

Just in time for the NBA Finals on May 30, the Fortnite x Jordan event introduces the new Downtown Drop Limited-Time Mode. Players will maneuver through a downtown area inspired by Brooklyn, completing challenges that unlock cosmetics like the Back Board Back Bling, along with the Grind and Clutch outfits.  

This LTM has players lauching off “massive jumps” and grinding “down city streets” to collect coins. The YouTube video that announced this mode reminded some viewers of the game Subway Surfers, an endless runner mobile game. This had players conflicted. Some noted that they felt like the game was selling out and trying anything to stay relevant, while other fans thought it simply looked like a good time.

While this is the first time that Fortnite has presented an NBA-inspired mode, it isn’t the first time the game has incorporated sports into a new update. For the Super Bowl earlier this year, the battle royale featured football-themed cosmetics and in-game activities. Tyler “Ninja” Blevins was also featured in a Super Bowl ad in which Payton Manning infamously called him a “video game master.”