Fortnite is one of the biggest media properties in the world. It’s played by millions of players from all conceivable age demographics each and every day and has had an impact on our world and the popular culture we consume in ways that are still hard to quantify. The impact it continues to have on popular culture is unparalleled, whether that involves the progression of technology, promotion of films and television, or crossovers that continually make the live service platform the centre of attention. It’s the only accomplished metaverse on the planet.
Knowing this, Epic Games wants Fortnite to be more than an evolving battle royale known for custom modes and seasonal updates. It wants to do justice to the phenomenal identity it’s come to foster over the past several years. This brings us to the topic of education, one in which Fortnite has tried to embrace previously to mixed results.
Back in 2021 we saw Fortnite debut the ‘March Through Time’ event which aimed to try and educate players on the experiences and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. A virtual recreation of the National Mall in Washington DC was intended to educate young players on a historic figure who continues to have an impact on the world today, but in its ambition Epic Games failed to disable emotes or consider how some might take advantage of this dissonance for their own gain. Meaningful insight on the Civil Rights Movement and one of the most known Black figures in modern history was overshadowed by countless people eager to have fun and express memes regardless of whether that undermined the intention. It was a disaster.
A few players who actually wanted to watch MLK’s memorable speech unfold on the virtual screens were frequently interrupted by rampant emotes and fellow gamers with no desire to learn, only to cause chaos in a space which was clearly designed to amplify minority voices and touch on a piece of history that risks being left behind if modern media doesn’t change to accommodate it. Mainstream video games weren’t ready for this level of insight however, and the dissonance of a tongue-in-cheek battle royale game melding with subject matter this serious only gave the trolls further ammunition. The event returned a year later with stronger moderation, but by that point it was too late. Now a similar act is being performed but instead of Martin Luther King Jr, an unofficial creator hopes to use Fortnite as a vehicle to teach you about the horrors of the Holocaust. From the offset, this seems to be much better positioned.
Indie developer Luc Bernard shared on Twitter recently that the custom map which contains a curated museum dedicated to the Holocaust has been approved by Epic Games. You will find images from the holocaust alongside detailed descriptions of certain events and noted individuals throughout the showcase, which is beautifully detailed and fittingly sombre in its design. The code for the map is 4491-8501-3730 if you wish to check it out for yourself as it goes live, and it appears Bernard has created such an experience within Fortnite because it stands a much higher chance of reaching and engaging with a younger audience. Many of whom may become disillusioned with history as media becomes more and more proliferated across social media and streaming services. It’s vitally important for us to ensure the coming generations are able to access our history in whatever form suits them, otherwise we run a risk of letting them forget it entirely, alongside the vital lessons such events happen to carry.
With any luck, Epic Games’ approval of an ambitious user-created map dedicated entirely to educating players about the Holocaust is proof it hasn’t given up on Fortnite’s potential as an educational platform. Both official and custom-made efforts have value, and previous efforts arguably tried to achieve too much without considering the tasteless ramifications of its own platform and how disingenuous users would seek to take advantage of that. Changes are to be made, and teething issues remain, but I can’t slam Fortnite for trying to achieve a feat like this in spite of its origins, and how Epic Games seems to understand the audience it earned across the world and ways in which it can’t just monetise them, but educate them on a world rich with essential history all of us need to know, if only to become better, more sympathetic people as we grow older.