Fortnite fans were recently treated to a preview of things to come in Season 7. After a cryptic tweet from Fornite that fans quickly decoded, Rick Sanchez, one half of the popular adult animated series Rick and Morty, was officially confirmed to be coming to the game. Since Fortnite's latest season will be centered around a futuristic alien invasion, the Doc Brown-inspired Sanchez makes perfect sense as a skin.
Sanchez will also be joined by Superman — himself an alien — along with plenty of other alien invasion-themed skins and items in the Chapter 2, Season 7 battle pass. A quick glance reveals something distinct about Rick Sanchez, in that his cel-shaded style is completely unique for Fortnite. While this makes Rick Sanchez's skin more interesting, it could also put players at a significant disadvantage.
Do Skins Affect Gameplay?
The argument is mostly subjective, but Call of Duty: Warzone's Roze skin has proven to be one of the most compelling pieces of evidence on the subject of distinct battle royale skins; especially important when discussing the Rick Sanchez skin in Fortnite. Through the power of word-to-mouth, Roze's Rook skin became one of the most highly coveted cosmetics in Call of Duty: Warzone. Roze's skin was sleek, thin, and extremely dark when compared to other options. This meant that players, at least anecdotally, felt the skin gave them a competitive advantage. It was harder for other players to see, and therefore they were spotted less often, or at least with a slower reaction time by enemy players.
The Roze skin was nerfed after complaints, but with Rick Sanchez, Fornite could be introducing the polar opposite problem to the Roze skin. To put it simply, Sanchez's skin is eye-catching. It's likely part of what will drive sales for the skin, but it's also going to mean enemy players will see Sanchez quickly and easily. While Fortnite maintains a consistent hitbox across all characters regardless of their skin, the distinct cel-shaded look may cause headaches for would-be Rick Sanchez players, since it pops out on most backgrounds in Fortnite.
Is The Rick Sanchez Skin A Big Problem?
The same players who flocked to the Roze skin in Warzone are likely the same type of players who should stay far away from Rick Sanchez. He should put players at a disadvantage, no matter how slight, compared to other skins. Fortnite could alleviate the problem by introducing a myriad of different cel-shaded characters to oversaturate the playing field with them. However, Season 7's Superman, a comic-book character, would have been a perfect place to start, so it doesn't seem likely to happen.
The biggest problem with skins like Rick Sanchez is that games such as Fortnite are inherently repetitive, and options outside the meta are quickly weeded out. As players experiment with the new guns in Season 7, they'll collectively move away from the inefficient options. The same will be true if playing as Rick Sanchez gets players spotted more often. Ultimately, a cosmetic will never overcome the massive skill gaps that can exist in Fortnite due to its building system, but with all other things equal, the Rick Sanchez skin should put players at a tiny disadvantage.
Fortnite is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
