The Oscars usually generate a bit of buzz following the reveal of the award winners, but nothing quite like 2022's Oscars altercation has ever happened before. Will Smith and Chris Rock set the internet on fire following a joke pointed at Jada Pinkett Smith that Will Smith responded to by physically assaulting the comedian.The Oscars encounter between Will Smith and Chris Rock broke YouTube records, and its impact can be felt in gaming, as well. Now, Fortnite players are calling for Epic Games to bring back its Will Smith skin, and with a new emote, to boot.Back in 2021, Fortnite released a skin that allowed players to play through Fortnite looking like Will Smith as he appeared in Bad Boys as the character Mike Lowrey. The skin, like many limited time releases, has since been removed from the shop and is no longer available for purchase. However, fans of Fortnite and Will Smith have taken to social media to call on Epic Games to bring the skin back to the shop, preferably with a slap emote added to it.
To anyone not in the know, Chris Rock was on-stage preparing to present an Oscar award when he dropped a joke regarding Will's wife's hairstyle. Presumably taking offense given Jada's alopecia, Will Smith left his seat, struck Chris Rock, and after leaving the stage, continued shouting at Rock. The loss of composure took everyone by surprise, and the internet has been buzzing since.
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Of course, the likelihood of this actually happening is extremely slim. While it would probably generate some additional profits for Ukraine, as Epic Games is currently donating all Fortnite profits to humanitarian efforts supporting the country, purposefully engaging in the controversy wouldn't be the wisest decision for the developer to make. Using Will Smith's likeness surely comes with some restrictions, as well, making the return of the skin unlikely and the addition of a slap emote impossible.
While the game is no stranger to controversies of its own, Epic Games has been quick to remove emotes from Fortnite when controversy comes into play. Meanwhile, the response from the Academy Awards is yet to be determined. Will Smith went on to win the Best Actor award later that evening, but the accomplishment was marred by the outburst earlier. Now the Academy is determining how to proceed following this unprecedented event. It's extremely unlikely that any decision made will impact the winners of the 2022 Oscar Awards, but it may still impose some sort of penalty.
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