The developers behind Fortnite, Epic Games, have announced the return of the “Peaceful Hips” emote, a dance move initially introduced as part of a promotional tie-in with the superhero series, Peacemaker. The emote was temporarily removed from the popular battle royale game earlier in the week. This decision followed concerns raised by Epic regarding potential interpretations of the dance’s movements in light of a significant plot development within the Peacemaker show.
Spoiler Alert: If you wish to remain unspoiled regarding the Peacemaker storyline, proceed with caution. In a recent episode, the main character, Chris Smith (Peacemaker), discovers that an alternate reality he has been exploring is, in fact, Earth-X. This version of Earth exists in a parallel timeline where the Nazi regime was victorious in World War II. As a result, America is depicted as a fascist nation, complete with a flag prominently displaying a swastika. This revelation led to controversy, as some poses within the “Peaceful Hips” emote could be interpreted as vaguely resembling the shape of a swastika.
In response, Epic Games
chose to temporarily disable the emote while engaging in discussions with Warner Bros. to clarify the “creative intentions” behind the dance. Warner Bros. has since stated that the dance was never intended to carry any Nazi-related connotations.
“We’ve worked closely with our partners at Warner Bros. Games to confirm there were no creative intentions to connect the Peaceful Hips Emote and the current Peacemaker storyline,” according to a recent announcement from Epic. “To avoid any confusion, we’re modifying the Emote choreography in next week’s update. If they prefer, players can return the Emote without using a ticket.”
The situation raises questions about the level of communication between Epic Games and Warner Bros., especially given the recent nature of the collaboration. It seems surprising that Epic wasn’t given advance notice regarding the potentially controversial plot twist in the latest Peacemaker season. While Warner Bros. may not have foreseen the potential issues this plot point could create for the game, it highlights a breakdown in communication. It remains to be seen whether this incident will lead to changes in Epic’s approach to future collaborative partnerships.