Photo Credit: TenTV Asia / CC by 2.0
Epic Games has announced that BTS will debut their new music video for “Dynamite” in Fortnite Party Royale. Sorry, iPhone users.
The new video will be a choreography video for the single, debuting on September 25th at 8 PM ET. Two new emotes are also making their way into the game – Epic says BTS helped choreograph the emotes. These emotes will go on sale to Fortnite players a few days before the music video debuts.
Fortnite’s ability to attract music acts like BTS, Marshmello, Travis Scott, and others make it a cultural giant. Epic’s newly debuted Party Royale space is a violence-free way for gamers to enjoy these massive novel music experiences. Epic has created a high-tech studio in Los Angeles where these performances can occur.
Dominic Fike helped launch the new studio and Party Royale format. A show from Anderson .Paak aired just last weekend, with more expected in October.
Fortnite’s Head of Global Partnerships, Nate Nanzer, says touring artists like BTS should consider the Fortnite Party Royale stage as a stop on their tour.
“It’s a unique way to get in front of an audience that maybe you’re not reaching through other means,” he told The Verge. That was true when Party Royale launched, but the landscape has changed a bit since then.
Fortnite is no longer available on iOS/macOS devices. Even devices with the game installed before it was removed from the App Store are no longer receiving updates.
Fortnite’s latest Chapter update is only available to those on Windows or Android devices. Accordingly, iPhone users who want to attend the latest BTS Party Royale are unfortunately SOL. I’m sure gamers will be hosting Twitch watch parties, and Twitch is still available on iOS, so that’s one way to watch it.
Epic Games is hoping Fortnite is enough of a cultural force to pressure Apple for its absence. The BTS ARMY is notorious in its support for its favorite K-pop group. Will there be a row on social media when ARMY iOS users can’t view the Party Royale? I don’t have a magic eight ball, but I’d bet big on ‘all signs point to yes.’
Epic is likely hoping to combine public pressure with legal pressure to get Fortnite back on iOS. Hosting music acts with millions of fans turns Fortnite into more than just a game. It is a stage where music fans across the world can tune in to catch their favorite act virtually. That’s especially important as the pandemic continues to ravage the country.