A vocal group of Fortnite gamers are calling for a boycott of Epic’s battle royale sport after a pores and skin of Obsession’s Nikki Freeman, performed by Inde Navarrette, sparked backlash amongst followers.
On October 20, Epic Video games revealed that Nikki Freeman is coming to Fortnite in a particular collaborative video with the character’s actress, Inde Navarrette. And whereas there’s no denying Obsession’s reputation — Nikki was one of many most-searched Halloween costumes on Google this 12 months, in spite of everything — her inclusion as a purchasable pores and skin in a online game is rubbing some followers the mistaken means.
Warning: Main spoilers for Obsession beneath!
This uncomfortable response is in direct response to Nikki being the sufferer of Bear’s want in Obsession. Within the film, Nikki’s physique is overtaken by a malicious entity whereas the true Nikki is locked away in her personal thoughts, unable to do something however watch because the entity possessing her commits atrocities whereas sporting her pores and skin.
Watch out what you would like for… Nikki is coming to Fortnite tomorrow https://t.co/iSY6eseqVX
— Fortnite (@Fortnite) October 20, 2026
She can also be taken benefit of by Bear, who engages in intimacy with Nikki’s bodily type with out getting the consent of the true Nikki. (Bear turns into conscious of this reality within the movie, however decides towards attempting to save lots of her, asking, ‘What’s so unhealthy about being with me?’ to which Nikki replies, ‘I’ve by no means been with you, Bear.’)
Evidently, making Nikki — who’s a sufferer of rape — a playable character in a online game isn’t precisely being met with positivity from some of us in Fortnite’s playerbase. That’s not together with her particular emote, which sees her maintain up Wiley E. Coyote-style indicators reenacting the well-known dinner scene the place she flips out on Bear, or the pores and skin’s recreation of her iconic frown.
“Wanting your rape sufferer character in a sport as a enjoyable component (paradoxically Nikki suffers from has no management on her physique and thoughts in film) is a f**king selection,” one person wrote on Twitter/X. “Additionally, f**okay Fortnite too for this selection.”
“I form of hate how Nikki was become a meme like this. It kinda overshadows the precise horrific s**t her character really went by within the film, for my part,” one other said.
“So, lemme [make] this make sense: Fortnite is utilizing a character who has a narrative about lack of coercion, lack of consent, psychological torment, and tragic violence for leisure functions? Fortnite monopolizing on obsession offers me the ick. I am grossed out,” one other argued.
A viral post, which has since been deleted, even referred to as for a boycott of Fortnite altogether because of the pores and skin — however one other phase of the sport’s playerbase is not on board with this concept, with a number of arguing that Nikki is merely a fictional character and that her Fortnite pores and skin “isn’t that deep.”
“There’s clearly heated dialogue surrounding Nikki being put into Fortnite, however I do not actually get how the character [being] built-in into [the] sport = not taking her story critically. Most individuals BUY this stuff BECAUSE they care about a character, it is normally not for a punchline,” one said.
“Let’s please not attempt to scale back Nikki to only one other ‘sufferer,’” one other asked. “Sure, her story is horrific and tragic, however that does NOT imply we shouldn’t enable for her to look in multi-media no matter high quality.”
“Folks have such a onerous time comprehending that Nikki isn’t a actual individual and that she’s a fictional character,” yet one more posed.
This isn’t the primary time Nikki’s inclusion in different occasions an IPs has sparked a debate; she was additionally featured as a wandering character at Common Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, which sparked its personal discourse within the horror scene as as to whether or not this was really moral (to not point out issues in regards to the actors’ security). Indie Navarrette, for her half, appears to haven’t any concern with the entire thing, even posing with one of the character’s actors for a photo whereas visiting the theme park this October.
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s Information Editor. With ten years of expertise reporting on video games and leisure, she’s bought a storied background within the combating sport neighborhood, influencer information, and viral on-line tendencies. Discover her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.