In a debate that has been going on for nearly a year, it's being suggested that Fortnite is relying too heavily on licensed skins instead of brand-new original concepts.
When the battle royale game truly hit the stratosphere, there were some obvious perks that would come along with the acclaim, and brands lining up to work with you was the biggest one.
Marvel, Disney, DC, Paramount, Universal and many more have all had iconic character skins put into Fortnite but does this take the spotlight away from original or community creations?
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Licensed or Original Skins?
This debate is likely to go on for as long as Fortnite exists purely because there is no right or wrong morality here. Original Fortnite skins are something that die-hard fans can get very excited about if said character is built into the lore of the game ahead of time or goes on to play a big role in a future season or event.
On the other hand, it's not completely unlikely that some licensed skins also go on to have their moment in the spotlight like Thanos who had their own game mode released to hype up the crossover event.
It's also undeniable that licensed Fortnite skins have brought in players who may have never even booted the game up before, but will do so just to play as that character. I seem to recall Ripley and the Xenomorph being among those skins that had a huge initial reaction and got people playing the game.
A Fine Balance
In any long-lasting live service game, the core fanbase who are putting the most hours (and dollars) into the game are the ones who will drive the direction of future content.
That being said, it appears that the current balance of licensed and original skins is perfectly fine and causing no major disruption to the community. Back in Chapter 2, Season 8, there was a little bit of moaning when people realized that there were 35 original skins and 31 licensed skins but within a day or two, people seemed to realize how little an effect this has on their playing experience.
If certain skins offered you a distinct advantage then obviously this would be more problematic. However, I'm still just as bad at Fortnite when playing as Chris Redfield as I am when I play as Peely so, all good I guess.