Fortnite developer Epic Video games has mentioned it should alter a picture inside its newly-launched The Simpsons season that depicts shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon with light-colored pores and skin.
Followers noticed the picture earlier this week on the wall of Moe’s Tavern, the place a traditional image from The Simpsons depicts Apu, Barney, Homer and Principal Skinner throughout their tenure as barbershop quartet The Be Sharps.
Apu is erroneously proven with the identical yellow pores and skin tone as his fellow singers, although as many have been fast to level out, the character is depicted appropriately in different photos inside the similar location.
As dangerous as this seems to be, I’m fairly certain this was an oversight. He’s on a distinct image offered appropriately https://t.co/Rqyy5o79p3 pic.twitter.com/Q6mS2aV4XJ
— dille (@nescartridges) November 4, 2025
Now, amid press reviews that recommended Epic Video games was one way or the other making an attempt to erase the character, the developer has responded with a brief assertion posted to social media. “This wasn’t intentional, it is being adjusted in our subsequent launch,” Epic Video games wrote, in an replace on its Fortnite Standing account.
Latest years have seen Apu take extra of a backseat on The Simpsons, following the discharge of the 2017 documentary The Drawback With Apu which strongly criticised the character as a racist South Asian stereotype. Lengthy-term The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria subsequently introduced he would not painting the position — and since then, the character has solely appeared with out dialogue.
Earlier this week, Epic Video games celebrated a spike in participant numbers as Fortnite’s The Simpsons season launched to a optimistic response. Followers have poured reward on the sport’s Easter egg-stuffed recreation of Springfield, although there was criticism for this week’s introduction of latest pet-like Sidekick cosmetics, which must be purchased a number of occasions to be totally re-customized.
Subsequent up for Fortnite is a significant finish of yr occasion on November 29 that can see The Simpsons’ mini-season finish and a brand new Chapter Seven period of the sport arrive — with the expectation the sport will function some sort of Quentin Tarantino crossover.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You possibly can attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social