Fortnite is holding its second We The People panel this week, this time focusing on the topic on voter suppression. The first We The People panel was held on July 4th and featured a discussion of racism and racial justice in America.
Even before it began hosting We The People panels, Fortnite was experimenting with how to use its massive reach to offer players more than just a game. That idea saw its most spectacular implementation yet when Fortnite held a virtual Travis Scott concert complete with stunning visual effects and a massive avatar of the rapper towering over the crowd. Fortnite has also played host to exclusive Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker previews and a recent Christopher Nolan film festival at it’s in-game movie theater.
The upcoming We The People x More Than A Vote panel will follow the original We The People screening in using Fortnite for a considerably more important discussion. Debuting on Tuesday, July 28th at 7 pm ET, the panel will discuss the problem of voter suppression in the United States, which Epic Games notes disproportionately affects Black communities. The panel will consist of a mix of athletes, actors, rappers, and activists, including Jason Heyward, Jalen Rose, and Yvonne Orji. Players can watch the panel’s debut in Fortnite’s Party Royale playlist at the Big Screen, where it will repeat until the end of the day on Wednesday, July 29th. Emotes will be disabled during the screenings to keep from disrupting the event, but anyone who attends will get a free Verve emote from Epic.
Epic Games has said for a while now that it has plans to turn Fortnite into a digital entertainment and hangout space in addition to being one of the world’s most popular games. Events like the Travis Scott concert proved that it was possible, and the new We The People panels are showing that Fortnite could serve as a platform for more than even Epic Games may have been intending. As a game with a low barrier to entry, massive reach, and a large audience of young players, it makes a perfect venue to hold educational events that can expose players to conversations they might not find elsewhere.
Epic Games may not have foreseen Fortnite playing a role in the political education of its players, but it seems to be leaning into its newfound responsibility. Holding a second We The People panel shows that Epic is willing to give more than one-time lip service to addressing important issues, and it will be interesting to see if it makes these discussions a more permanent part of its platform.
Fortnite is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile platforms.
Source: Epic Games, Fortnite/YouTube
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