Log into Fortnite at any point over the next week, and you’ll unlock a free in-game loading screen showing the game’s stock market crashing.
The well-timed stunt comes as economies around the world react to the ever-changing impact of US tarrifs in real time – though the giveaway is primarily designed to highlight the current storyline in Epic Games’ battle royale.
Fortnite’s giveaway of The Big Dillbits Crash loading screen is live now, and lasts until next Tuesday, 15th April. Maybe everything will be fine by then.
The image shows Fletcher Kane, the villain of Fortnite’s current season, reacting in shock as his BitCoin-esque virtual currency suddenly collapses, ruining his financial hold over the Fortnite Island.
Fortnite had raised some fan eyebrows by introducing the concept of a planet-burning virtual currency, DillBits, to its storyline. In-game, players can obtain DillBits by robbing vaults, and spend them in nearby Black Market stores for exotic weaponary.
At first, DillBits were presented as the source of enormous wealth, and were being championed by fan-favourite character Midas – someone able to create unlimited gold simply by touching something with his bare hands. Why would he need more money, though, players wondered?
Now, it turns out that DillBits was a deliberate hustle by Midas and company, designed to ruin Fletcher Kane and end his reign over the Island by suckering him into a BitCoin-like scam. Nice.
Fortnite seasons are planned months in advance, and Epic Games likely had this loading screen ready to launch for some time. But the decision to release it to all players now, specifically, feels like a knowing nod about real-world events as well.
Back in the real world, the impact of US tarrifs on the global economy is still being felt, particularly by Nintendo fans in both the US and Canada who are still waiting for news on when they will be able to pre-order a Switch 2 – and how much Nintendo will now charge.