Epic Games has decided to disallow some cosmetics in some Fortnite modes. This includes cosmetics with weapons attached. This means that any games with an E rating will likely not allow you to wear some of your OG or free skins in their entirety.
As found by Shiina on X (formally known as Twitter), Fortnite is no longer allowing players to use cosmetics that it deems inappropriate for experiences rated 12+. You now see an exclamation point inside a triangle to let you know that certain experiences will not allow this. These are generally weapon and violent types of skins, but also includes skins like Leon S Kennedy and Claire Redfield.
It is incredibly easy to ask why a game like Fortnite which mostly features weapons – rifles, pistols, grenades, shotguns, and many more – would limit players using cosmetics that show it. It’s a shooter game that pits players against each other in a battle royale. Some think that this way of identifying Fortnite may not be what Epic Games wants.
A lot of the creative maps are designed primarily for combat and gunplay. Yet, some are not meant for fighting but for building, obstacles, exploring, and more. This restriction of cosmetics suggests Epic Games may just want the battle royale to be one of many modes. Shiina gives a great analysis of this change.
“Well, given what we know about Fortnite’s near future and the things they’ve done lately, this ‘shooting game’ thing might be the key point here.
Fortnite doesn’t want to be just a Battle Royale, they want to be a platform that INCLUDES a Battle Royale, but also other games that might not include guns at all (Key point: Racing mode, ‘Sparks’ music game mode)”
That’s all well and good, but players who purchased these cosmetics were not informed that they would be restricted in certain game modes in the future. It wouldn’t be hard to imagine Epic Games getting into another lawsuit if they don’t allow players to refund their cosmetics. This decision could be perceived as a bait-and-switch, even if it is for the best of reasons. We’ll see if the skins that have been restricted can be returned in the future, and what players will do if not.
