Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr. will be available as a player skin in "Fortnite" during the upcoming season as part of the game's new battle pass that was revealed Tuesday. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is the first ever real-life athlete to be part of the in-game "Fortnite" experience.
"Neymar is an icon in the sport, one of the greatest players to ever live," Nate Nanzer, Epic Games' Head of Partnerships, said. "When he's not training or on the pitch, he's playing video games. I hope that partnerships like this go a long way toward breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions about who gamers are or gaming as an activity."
"Fortnite" has had sports collaborations in the past, with players being able to put on jerseys from NFL teams and international soccer clubs on their character, but for the first time ever, you get to be Neymar himself as you shoot, build and fight your way to a battle royale victory.
You can get the skin as part of the Battle Pass, which is a seasonal tiered content system that players can purchase so they can get exclusive cosmetics and even a bit of in-game currency. In the past, skins have included fictional characters such as John Wick, Marvel superheroes like Wolverine and Iron Man, The Mandalorian from the Star Wars television series and video game characters like Lara Croft.
The closest the game has come to having actual people as a player skin was with a Ninja-themed cosmetics package, where players got a themed costume after the notable "Fortnite" streamer.
As Nanzer revealed, however, there could be more player skins of real-life athletes coming soon.
"Kicking things off with Neymar is awesome," he said. "With Neymar, it shows our intention of making sport a bigger part of 'Fortnite.' We're starting to work with leagues (like the NFL), individual club partnerships and athletes as well."
I am personally looking forward to the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate to spill into this fictional realm as well.