The South Korean boy band BTS was recently announced as the latest musical artist to be collaborating with Epic Games' Fortnite after the successful Travis Scott concert earlier this year. BTS will be premiering the music video for their song "Dynamite" on September 25 at 8 PM ET as part of Fortnite's three-week Spotlight concert series. Debuting its first music series, it's clear the hugely popular battle royale is transforming into a virtual entertainment destination unlike anything seen before.
Amid the pandemic, remote concerts are fun and safe alternatives to live shows. Based on the upcoming concert series' success, some wonder if this could change concert experiences in the future. According to Nate Nanzer, Fortnite's Head of Global Partnerships, that seems to be the goal. Nanzer told The Verge, "This is a tour stop. If you're on tour, you want to stop on the Fortnite stage."
Based on numbers from the game's previous concerts, the Fortnite stage just may earn a spot among musical outlets like Saturday Night Live. Epic Games revealed the Travis Scott concert had 12.3 million participating players, making it the most successful event in Fortnite history. The concert's success even surpassed the 2019 Marshmello concert, the previous record-holder at 10.7 million attending players.
Concerts are not the only time Fornite has created a separate, violence-free island within the game. Since April, players could visit an island featuring a theater and concert stage. This has screened programs like Epic's short film highlighting its feud with Apple, the Tenet trailer and We The People, a conversation on race in America. Nanzer also reported these types of virtual events have been successful, stating, "They've been performing really well, we've seen millions of people come and engage with these different shows that have happened to date in party royale."
To make future performances bigger, Epic built a specialized studio space in Los Angeles designed with COVID safety protocols in mind. The new setup will allow Dominic Fike and his band to broadcast a full live concert. Fike kicked off the Spotlight concert series on September 12. The studio is another factor that may cement the Fortnite stage as a fundamental part of the music scene.
Thanks to its countless emotes, Fortnite's emphasis on dancing makes it the perfect fit for live concerts. The stunning visuals and unworldly environments create an experience that can only be achieved in a virtual setting. Much like live concerts, players can also sport merch. Any players that attended one of the Travis Scott events in April received the Astroworld Cyclone Glider and two loading screens, and other Travis Scott outfits and emotes were made available in the store for purchase. The benefit for musicians is huge too. As exemplified by Travis Scott and Marshmello, the platform allows artists to reach millions of viewers worldwide, with the potential to tap into Fortnite's massive 350 million player base.
Pandemic restrictions have pushed live entertainment venues to adapt. There has been a rise in outdoor and drive-in concerts that allow attendees to watch from the comfort and safety of their cars. Although this is a creative solution, it is not without limitations. Venues have a lower size capacity due to social distancing regulations. Fortnite's virtual concerts, however, leap over these obstacles and have the added bonus of allowing fans to attend shows they might not otherwise have been able to.
Epic's introduction of the concert series marks a shift towards making live music a regular part of the battle royale and not just a rare event. The concert series will be free for any all players, and, as of now, Epic does not plan to sell ads or sponsorships. The virtual stage allows artists to connect with fans despite pandemic restrictions. Though it may, for now, be a substitute for the live shows that had to be canceled due to the pandemic, Fortnite's accessibility and massive audience uniquely suits it to be a digital venue for musical artists moving forward.