By Webb Wright | Junior Reporter
April 22, 2022 | 4 min read
Listen to article 4 min
From the slums of Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan strikes again. This time, the iconic hip-hop group is bringing their signature style to Fortnite, an immensely popular video game that’s recently been attracting a swarm (Wu-Tang fans will get the joke there) of artists and brands.
Tomorrow, Fortnite, owned by Epic Games, will be releasing a collection of ‘Wu Wear’ items for players to collect. The collection will include two outfits, each of which will come with Wu-themed accessories. The game will also launch an emote (an in-game feature that causes one’s character to dance or perform some other kind of movement), complete with hands upraised into a W, signaling to all the world that they “ain’t nothing to fuck with.”
Fortnite has evolved to become a major intersection for popular culture and the expanding virtual world known as ‘the metaverse.’ In 2021, the brand unveiled its ‘Soundwave Series’ geared toward sparking collaborations with popular musical artists from around the world.
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Wu-Tang Clan has partnered with Fortnite for a new collection of virtual clothing and accessories / Edelman
“Music transcends any language, and has been a beloved part of Fortnite’s journey since our first in-game concert in 2019,” Nate Nanzer, vice-president of global partnerships at Epic Games, said in a blog post last year. “The Soundwave Series continues that legacy and will introduce incredible crossover artists from around the world to millions of new fans inside Fortnite Creative, where there are virtually no limits on what can be designed by our community.”
Rapper Travis Scott and producer Marshmello are among the superstars who have already performed in Fortnite.
Fortnite has also launched several recent activations with major brands seeking to capitalize on the game’s enormous audience. The National Football League, for example, has partnered with the game twice. Luxury fashion brands Balenciaga and Moncler have also released virtual drip on Fortnite.
The game’s collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan marks one of the latest efforts from a musical group, which is also a brand in its own right, to cash in on Fortnite’s extensive reach in the gaming community, which is comprised largely of millennials and gen Zers.
“Fortnite has been in my household for years,” the RZA – one of the members of Wu-Tang Clan – said in a statement. “It’s been a pleasure and joy watching the game evolve, while becoming the go-to pastime. This collaboration is a multigenerational ‘drip’ of swag and cool.”
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