fortnite fierce emote
Fortnite added a Will Smith skin last year, and the esteemed actor's recent confrontation with Chris Rock has players requesting its return.
Following recent events, Fortnite fans have begun fierce requests for the game's Will Smith skin to return to the Item Shop. Epic Games' beloved battle royale shooter has a huge roster of different skins, ranging from Marvel superheroes to the brutal John Wick. Back in August 2021 Fortnite added Will Smith's Bad Boys character, detective Mike Lowrey, as a playable skin for fans of the 1995 buddy cop flick.
Will Smith is known around the world for lead roles in blockbusters like Independence Day, Men in Black, Ali and more. However, the Hollywood icon recently made headlines for an enraged outburst during the recent 94th Academy Awards ceremony. While preparing to present the Academy Award for Best Documentary Picture, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about actress Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Pinkett Smith's husband, Will Smith, then stormed up on stage and slapped Rock in the face for the insult before sitting down and verbally berating him. The Will Smith slap spawned video game memes almost immediately, with gamers using the event to reference Elden Ring, Persona and the gaming industry overall.
As reported by DualShockers, many Fortnite fans want Will Smith to return to the game as a reference to his Oscars controversy. The skin of Mike Lowrey from Bad Boys was only available as a limited-time crossover, but gamers feel now would be the perfect opportunity to bring Smith back into the intense shooter. Twitter users like Alejandro Diaz say that the Will Smith skin should return, explaining that Epic Games could even go the extra mile by adding a slap emote for the character. Twitter user TacoDraws even suggests that Will Smith's hand could serve as a new harvesting tool, since it is clearly a devastating weapon.
While it is unlikely that Will Smith will actually be making a return to Fortnite, the beloved shooter did recently announce a large change to its established formula. The brand-new Fortnite Zero Build mode will allow gamers to partake in battle royale action without the game's iconic build mechanic. Since launch the title has allowed players to build structures, allowing them to gain an advantage over their opponents through creativity. A limited-time event recently removed the building ability from Fortnite, but it seems that players will now have access to the gameplay option far into the future.
Despite an apology issued by Will Smith, his assault on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars continues to be the butt of many jokes. The startling event has led to a multitude of memes, but it seems unlikely that Epic Games will legitimately bring the actor's Bad Boys skin back to the Item Shop. However, the iconic slap is likely to make Fortnite's Will Smith skin a popular choice for gamers into the immediate future.
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Sources: DualShockers, Alejandro Diaz/Twitter, TacoDraws/Twitter