As the competition between Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds wages on, we now know where Chance the Rapper stands. Last week, the award-winning musician and producer posted a tweet requesting that Fortnite, the popular title from Epic Games, be brought to the Nintendo Switch, while tagging Nintendo of America directly:
The decorated rapper’s tweet could not have been more timely, coming just days after Fortnite passed PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in concurrent players, with 3.4 million concurrent users versus PUBG’s 3.14 million. This is an impressive feat as Fortnite is not yet officially available in China, a demographic that attributes to a majority of PUBG’s current success and player base.
Retweets and responses to Chance’s tweet were immediate. Of note, however, were replies from Nick Chester and Chance Ivey, PR Manager and Partnership Manager, respectively, for Epic Games:
The fight for the top spot continues in the battle royale genre, with everybody from casual to hardcore gamers skydiving into the fray. But how lucrative of a move could bringing Fortnite to the Nintendo Switch actually be?
Short answer: Very. Fortnite has seen a meteoric rise in success since its free-to-play Battle Royale mode was released. Epic Games has even increased its focus on the game by moving development teams from other projects to Fortnite. This focus on the game’s success, coupled with the Nintendo Switch Online service releasing later this year, could provide an on-the-go experience that Fortnite could pull off well. The game’s animations and graphics are also more cartoon-like, fitting in well with the styles of other games within the Switch’s catalog.
From a marketing perspective, beyond the likes of Chance the Rapper, the Nintendo Switch is already making waves with celebrities. In fact, an entire subreddit exists that showcases how well-received Nintendo’s latest console has been with Hollywood’s elite, including names such as Chrissy Teigan and Lebron James.
Of course, the primary counterpoint to be made is that Fortnite is already available and widely played on the PC. So, why not just use a laptop to play Fortnite while on-the-go? A move to the Nintendo Switch would be a win for the casual Fortnite community who may not be as PC-inclined. A whole new console-based audience would likely open up, as it did for PlayStation 4 owners. Additionally, the Switch is more functional as an on-the-go option than a laptop. As musician John Mayer stated via tweet, the Switch is a game-changer for touring musicians:
A collaboration between a star of Chance the Rapper’s caliber, Epic Games, and Nintendo could be the nail in the coffin for Fortnite securing the top spot in the battle royale genre. Do these Twitter interactions indicate any future plans for a Fortnite release on the Nintendo Switch? Of course not. But maybe…they’re telling us there’s a “chance”?
