Police Cars Removed From Fortnite, A Political Move By Epic?
June 22, 2020The ever popular online multiplayer game, ‘Fortnite’ no longer features police cars. According to a reddit thread, players noticed the absence of these vehicles during a gaming session. Many suspect that Epic Games, Fortnite’s creator may have omitted these vehicles due in part to the civil unrest in the US.
The game’s developer may have wanted to maintain an apolitical environment within Fortnite as a means to curb unwanted violent behavior. Released in 2017, Fortnite is a third person shooting game that allows players the freedom to create worlds and battle arenas. Players can team up online to accomplish various objectives.
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has sparked widespread protests across the world. Protesters in the US have taken to the streets to vent their frustration at the discriminatory practices of the police force toward people of African descent. The protests, which are mostly peaceful, aim to spur reforms within police departments.
Certain quarters have taken advantage of the situation, by looting nearby stores, defacing public property and vandalizing police vehicles. The violence that ensued has caused unnecessary injuries to protesters and monetary losses to businesses. Epic Games seems to be doing its part to prevent this behavior from spilling over into the virtual world of Fortnite.
