Summary
- Travis Scott's popularity and brand deals made him a natural fit for Fortnite, but he was removed from the game after the Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021.
- Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has now stated that Travis Scott is welcome back in Fortnite, but he is not aware of future collaborations or item shop rotations.
- Fans are curious about the potential of a new in-game concert in Fortnite following the release of Travis Scott's latest album, Utopia.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has addressed the possibility of artist Travis Scott making a return to Fortnite at some point in the future. The developers of the popular battle royale shooter continue to add dozens of new celebrities and pop culture references like Futurama to Fortnite regularly, with Scott being one of the only skins ever removed from the game after dropping in.
Travis Scott is a popular musical artist, so it makes sense that he was one of the first real-world celebrities with a skin added to Fortnite. It particularly makes sense in the context of Scott's ubiquity at the time, with massive brand deals affiliating the artist with McDonald's and Reese's Puffs popping up all over the place. That all came crashing down following the Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021, and Epic Games opted to remove Travis from the Fortnite item shop in the ensuing controversy. When asked recently about Scott's potential future with the game, however, Tim Sweeney seems to have changed his mind.
Sweeney posted a tweet yesterday responding to a fan asking about the potential of Fortnite and Travis Scott collaborating again at some point in the future. Tim succinctly writes, "Travis Scott is welcome in Fortnite," but also makes it clear that he's not in the loop on what specific brands or celebrities are coming to the game and when. To this day, Travis Scott remains one of the only skins that has ever been outright removed from the Fortnite item shop.
The popular creator of hit songs like "Goosebumps" with Kendrick Lamar or "Sicko Mode" with Drake just released his latest album, titled Utopia, on July 28. Travis Scott's addition to Fortnite followed the release of his last album, Astroworld, which was promoted via an in-game concert that went viral online. The release of this latest album is what sparked the question to Tim Sweeney regarding the current relationship between Scott and Epic Games, as many fans are curious about the potential of a new in-game concert for the latest collection of songs.
The Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021 abruptly put the brakes on the momentum of Travis Scott's massive career, with many seeking to put blame on the artist for the overcrowding that resulted in the deaths of 10 concertgoers and the hospitalization of dozens more. Ultimately, Scott was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Texas grand jury in June 2023.
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