Epic Games’Fortnitehas transcended its battle royale shooter label thanks to numerous events and crossovers positioning the game to be a sort of content platform in its own right. Fromlive concerts by artists like Travis Scott and Ariana Grandeto world-altering experiences like the invasion of Marvel Comics' Galactus opening up the Zero Point onFortnite’s map, there’s seemingly always something for players to look forward to after months grinding out Battle Pass cosmetics. However, cosmetics are undoubtedly one of the game’s biggest draws, as Epic Games has featured all manner of pop culture icons.
Fortnite’s crossovers include comic book universes like Marvel and DC, films likeJohn WickandStar Wars, and even real-world entities such as NFL teams or popular streamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins or Kathleen “Loserfruit” Belsten. Video games are a big draw as well, with characters like Kratos and Master Chief able to duke it out in the battle royale.Fortniterecently double-dipped with crossovers for Capcom’sStreet Fighterfranchise. Ryu and Chun-Li were added in February 2021, and earlier this monthFortnitereleased skins for Cammy and Guile. However, asSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatehas show, there’s plenty of potential for more fighting games to get some love.
Street Fighteris a clear choice for crossover content; the franchise is incredibly popular to this day, and its latest entryStreet Fighter 5is still receiving DLCover five years after its debut. It’s one of Capcom’s oldest mainstays, dating back to arcades in 1987, and has been featured in a huge number of crossovers with Marvel Comics, other fighting game franchises, and more. The aforementionedSmash Ultimateincludes twoStreet Fighterrepresentatives with Ryu and Ken as part of its “video game hall of fame” roster.
However,Super Smash Bros.has also made a point of including representatives from a number of famous fighting game series beyondStreet Fighter, and it’s easy to imagineFortnitesecuring the rights to do so. SNK’s catalogue has plenty of options to choose from beyondSmash Bros.character Terry Bogard, withKing of Fightersregular Mai Shiranui a seemingly obvious choice if for no other reason than the marketing potential of playing off Masahiro Sakurai’s infamous quote aboutSmash Bros.being for “good boys and girls of many different ages.”
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Bandai Namco’sTekkenis similarly chock full of characters that could joinFortnite’s roster in the wake ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Kazuya Mishima DLC. Given the battle royale’s tendency to feature characters like Fishstick, Meowscles, and Peely, more out-thereTekkenreps like Roger the boxing kangaroo would fit right in.Tekken 7is also seeing ongoing DLC, though more immediate contemporary fighting games likeGuilty Gear Strivecould also advertise themselves to Epic Games' massive fanbase.
More fighting games that have yet to grace theSmash Bros.roster can also appear inFortnite, and may stand out further as a result.Mortal Kombatis the most obvious choice in that regard given NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon has expressed interest inMortal KombatjoiningSmash Bros.without any payoff thus far. The series' infamously bloody history likely wouldn’t be an issue for Epic Games, which has incorporated 80s action/horror characters such as Xenomorph, Predator, and Terminator - all of whom appear in differentMortal Kombatgames.
These strange bedfellows could all fit intoFortnite’s world, which already sees odd firefights between characters like Rick Sanchez, Harley Quinn, Daryl Dixon, and Aloy. There’s seemingly no end to the rights that Epic Games can secure, with evenrumors about Nintendo reps like Samus Aran circulating, so the developer seems like it’s doing a disservice to the diverse fighting game genre by sticking to onlyStreet Fighterin recent months.
Fortniteis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
