The National Football League is teaming up with Epic Games to bring NFL jerseys to Fortnite.
Fortnite is the fastest growing online game in terms of both player base and popularity. Many have taken notice of the game’s massive audience and have worked to capitalize on it by collaborating with developer Epic Games.
These partners include big names such as Hasbro, Samsung, and Disney’s Marvel Studios. Now the National Football League has teamed up with Fortnite to release a series of officially licensed skins.
A number of football pros have openly confessed their love for the game, including Steelers receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster even participated in a Twitch stream with popular streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and rappers Drake and Travis Scott. The stream pulled in a peak of 630,000 viewers.
The NFL rarely partners up with video game companies outside of Electronic Arts, developer of the famed Madden series of games. Chief NFL Media and Business Officer Brian Rolapp expressed confidence that the partnership would be a success.
“This partnership represents a great opportunity for millions of NFL fans who are Fortnite players to express their fandom inside the game while at the same time exposing our brand to countless others,” Rolapp said.
These jerseys are unique among Fortnite cosmetics.
Those who purchase the skins will first choose from a selection of different genders and ethnicities for the skin’s base model. They will then pick their favorite team jersey and decide which number they wanted printed on it. Players will end up with their own personal and unique NFL skin that they can then take into battle.
This customization has unfortunately led to some unanticipated online controversy. A number of players have spent their time designing models of real NFL athletes and putting them in controversial situations. The most notable of these recreations is NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick. A number of players have taken screenshots their in-game Kaepernicks kneeling on the sidelines of the field in Pleasant Park.
The skins will be available in the Fortnite shop on November 9 for 1,500 V-Bucks.
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