Fortnite has celebrated Pride for years now, allowing players to customize their characters to fit their style, personality, and more. This year it appears that the devs have gone the extra mile, with new skins that allow players to fully customize their look as well as dress down in their pride colors.
There has been a massive controversy going on with not only the choice of location for the 2022 World Cup but the unfair treatment of migrant workers and women within Qatar. More so, fans and players have taken note of the extremely unfair treatment and discrimination toward the LGBTQI+ community within Qatar. This has sparked outrage among both fans and players alike and has people scratching their heads at why the destination was chosen as the host of the World Cup in the first place.
With that said, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that the decision to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a "bad choice", and also went on to state that "It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for it,". Even so, the decision apparently still stands, which brings us to another issue; the amount of money and resources that went into building a total of seven new stadiums and completely overhauling and mending another in the country. There were several other options on the table when it comes to hosting the World Cup, including Egypt and Algeria which have a rich history with Football.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the location comes with the refusal to allow players or captains to wear their "One Love" armbands. This is where Fortnite has decided to step in and take the reins. It is interesting to see video games, movies, and other outlets take a stand on these types of issues, but Fortnite has truly taken things up a notch here.
Though the word "World Cup" is never used, it is interesting that they chose this update right at the start of the 2022 World Cup. The game is also no stranger to the wonderful world of Football, as a lot of their skins and characters are based on the sports league's jerseys, players, etc. Even a few of the dances we have come to know and love were inspired by the 2018 World Cup Squad.
With this latest update, players not only see the new skins available but will be given the chance to "Let Them Know", which is the title of the new accessories and skins available in the shop. The devs state that players can let everyone know who they are, and what they stand for, and let their true colors shine through using the customization options now available for these new skins. The new skins were first announced via a blog post, where one of the character skins appears to be sporting the Bi-Sexual pride flag colors. Though there is no specific notation that this has anything to do with the 2022 World Cup, many speculate that Fortnite is taking a stand with this choice, and allowing people to showcase who they are inside and out.
