Over the last six years, Fortnite has managed to do what so few can't, and remain one of the most popular video games on the market. Though its live-service approach is still a tad controversial, there's no denying that it works, with Fortnite's free-to-play model enticing hordes of new players every year while its paid cosmetics and Battle Pass continue to rake in the big V-Bucks. And with Fortnite remaining one of the most popular video games currently out, it's only natural that other big IPs have started to associate themselves with the Fortnite brand.
For the last few years now, Fortnite has gradually become the gaming hub of all things pop-culture. Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Halo, God of War, The Walking Dead, Resident Evil, and many, many more have all crossed over with Fortnite multiple times over the last few years, and Fortnite's collaborations don't look like they'll be stopping anytime soon. But while Fortnite has had countless crossovers, that doesn't mean that each one makes complete sense, and the latest Transformers collaboration might leave some fans scratching their heads a little.
Fortnite's Battle Bus Transformer Reveal Is a Strange One
Fortnite's most recent, and currently ongoing collaboration is with Hasbro's Transformers franchise, specifically tying in with the most recent movie, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. For the most part, this Fortnite x Transformers crossover has been pretty great so far, with a new themed mythic weapon in the powerful Cybertron Cannon, some unique Transformers-themed quests that reward dedicated players with emotes and sprays, and an Optimus Prime skin as the Battle Pass' highest reward this Season. On top of that, players could also spend their V-Bucks to get an Optimus Primal skin, as well as some other cosmetic items based on the recent movie.
But despite this latest Fortnite Season coming to a close in just over a month's time, Epic Games seems to be far from done with the Transformers license. In October, Epic Games is releasing a whole Transformers cosmetic pack for Fortnite, arriving both physically in stores and digitally via Fortnite's shop. This pack brings three new Transformers skins to the game, including the fan-favorite Bumblebee, and the Decepticon leader Megatron, both based on their classic Transformers Gen 1 designs. But the third skin in the bundle throws a bit of a curveball at fans.
Rather than being based on a pre-existing Transformers character like Starscream or Jazz, Fortnite's upcoming Transformers cosmetic pack includes a Transformers version of the game's iconic blue and yellow Battle Bus. On paper, this is an extremely fun idea. Transformers is all about fun reveals of something that fans have seen the whole time, but actually turns out to be a robot in disguise, and this Battle Bus skin achieves that. It also helps that the skin itself looks pretty great, retaining the iconic color scheme from the game along with some details that are core to the bus like its yellow tubing and bus decals.
But the Fortnite x Transformers Battle Bus skin fails to live up to its premise in one big way: it's not a real Transformer. According to Fortnite's official website, the Battle Bus is not considered an official Transformers character, and that seems like a real missed opportunity. Epic Games is a company that's usually switched on when it comes to marketing and crossover timings, but in this instance, it seems to have dropped the ball a little.
While the skin itself is great, Epic Games could have gone out of its way to market the crossover by getting Hasbro to produce some official Transformers toys based on the design, getting even more eyes on the crossover. But even aside from that, just including the Battle Bus as an official Transformer would have gone a long way in making the crossover feel more important and relevant to fans of both franchises.
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